


Own Ending

by Faded_BlueEyes



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Biting, Blood, Fighting, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Probably some lame vampire jokes, Slow Build, Vampire Hunters, Vampire!Eren, VampireHunter!Levi, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 01:49:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 116,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1492258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faded_BlueEyes/pseuds/Faded_BlueEyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren couldn't comprehend what he had seen the previous night. He watched the grey-eyed man wiping the tables and couldn't understand how the man who made his coffee every day and handed it over with a snarky remark was the very same man who was destined to kill him. Eren refused to believe Levi would kill him. </p><p>On top of keeping himself off the radar and keeping up with the make-believe student life, now Eren has to deal with hunters and making sure nobody dies because of his mistakes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

At the sound of the annoying beeping, Eren slammed his hand down on the alarm and heard it crack unpleasantly; but right now, he couldn't care less. As he rolled out of bed and trudged into the shower, he grumbled about having finally agreed to Armin’s proposition: it was clearly a mistake. Who was he to attend university anyway? He wasn't cut out for this. But if it made his best friend happy and gave his life an actual direction, he would have to oblige and agree that this was the best step for him. 

He put off going to university for two years. Two years where he sat around and did nothing but stared into the TV blankly or used his quick reflexes to an advantage and completed as many video games as it was possible. By now, they didn't bring him joy or excitement: they were simply there to kill time. 

The scolding water came down and burned at his skin but he simply sighed in relief and leaned his head against the cool tiles of the shower wall. Pain was welcome. It stopped his mind trying to run away to unpleasant thoughts. It was his first day at university; those thoughts were the last thing he needed. 

As he dressed into his usual attire, a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, he squinted at the sun high in the sky. The bright rays hurt; he was simply not used to daylight with how much time he spent in his room and only left at nights to be with his friends from time to time. Of course, that didn't happen until recently. After finding the strength to actually finish high school, he tried to cut contact with most of his friends. Evidently, that was impossible to accomplish with the people he lived with. 

The smell of bacon rose in the air and he cringed as he walked down the hall to the kitchen. That obviously meant Armin was already up; he quickly came to a realization that he shouldn't have been surprised. Armin stood by the stove, his long blonde hair pulled back into a loose ponytail to keep it away from the food. He turned to look at Eren with bags under his eyes yet a smile on his face. Eren rolled his eyes; Armin and learning had a very unhealthy relationship. 

He sat down on the stool and stared blankly at the counter top. “Are you at least a bit excited?” Armin asked him in a chirpy voice as he sat down opposite of Eren with a plate full of breakfast. Armin looked up at him with hopeful eyes but Eren shook his head; the food was the last thing on his mind. 

“Will it make you happy if I say yes?” Eren replied blankly. 

Armin frowned and looked down at his food again. “It’s supposed to make you happy, not me.” He mumbled as he played with his food slightly. 

Eren sighed and frowned at Armin, realizing how anti-social he was being. “I'm sorry.” He murmured. “I'm not a morning person.” He admitted and his head shot up as he heard Mikasa come into the kitchen, fully dressed. She gave him a look and mumbled a ‘good morning’ to Armin. 

Eren felt bad. He was having a clear negative effect on the people around him. Mikasa’s eyes used to hold so much more emotion in them before everything happened and after a reply like that, Armin would normally not be able to resist a ‘creature of the night’ joke. Now, there was only silence. 

But it was time for a change, he told himself. It’s been five years. 

“You had your first class yesterday right, Mikasa?” He asked, trying to spark a conversation going. She raised her eyebrows at him before she bent down to a separate refrigerator and pulled out two red bags.

“Yeah!” Armin echoed, quickly trying to add to a conversation. “How was it?” 

“It was interesting.” Mikasa replied, a small smile pulling up at the corners of her lips. It wasn't a long answer and Eren didn't expect one, but this was progress. She dumped a mug in front of Eren and gave him a pointed, stern look. 

He rolled his eyes and looked down at the contents: the very liquid which kept him alive. “Are you heading to work?” He asked her in return, not bothering with the contents of the mug yet. 

“Yeah, I'm on a morning shift. I have a class in the afternoon.” She replied as she sat down next to him, bringing her own mug with the very same liquid up to her lips. “You need a ride?” She asked him and the smell of said liquid finally reached his nostrils, making him tense up slightly. Mikasa currently worked a part-time job at a hospital. Even though she just started working on her medical degree, she managed to get a job as a receptionist in the large, local hospital. It opened doors for her future and clearly came very useful to all of them; after all, it was easy for her to get a hold of blood bags without anybody being overly suspicious. 

“It’s fine. I’ll walk.” He told her and finally caved in, grabbing the mug and bringing the contents up to his lips. The cold, red liquid poured down his quickly burning throat and soothed it so much he had to let a relieved sigh escape his mouth. 

Mikasa put her mug into the dishwasher and walked back, messing Armin’s hair up along the way which made him exclaim a ‘hey!’ as a small smile teased her lips. She put her arm around Eren and kissed his cheek before sorting out a misplaced hair on his fringe, earning a push and a ‘stop it’ from her brother. She gave them a wave and left with a quiet ‘bye.’ 

“What about you, Blondie? When’s your class?” Eren forced a teasing smile onto his face as he directed the question to Armin. 

Armin sent him a fake glare as he looked down at his watch. “In two hours. But I promised to meet a friend before.” He spoke as he put his plate in the dishwasher. The university was a good 15 minute walk from their current house. “You want to walk with me? We’re meeting at the coffee shop near the university.” 

Now that it was too late to really drink anything, Eren realized maybe coffee was something he would enjoy. His sense of taste did not work the same way Armin’s did, which was why he gave up long ago on even bothering with food. He didn't need it to survive: it was a deluxe. But perhaps the taste of caffeine working on his tired body would slowly start to bring his appetite back. “Yeah, I’ll come.” He replied before putting his own mug in the dishwasher. 

After pulling on his trainers, he followed Armin out. Armin started talking about the course they started at the university yesterday and how excited he was to learn about it. Armin was halfway through his degree in Marine biology. Unlike Eren and Mikasa, he started university right after high school which put him at the same age of 20 as them but two years ahead at the university. 

Eren pretended to listen and nodded along to his friend’s rambling. Armin was easily excited when it came to learning new things. It was almost endearing watching as his big, blue eyes widened and more words started spewing out of his mouth. Eren wished he could be as passionate as Armin at times. He silently hoped that the photography course he himself was starting today would bring that trait out in him. 

Whenever Eren looked at Armin he couldn't believe how far they have all come. It was 6 years ago, give or take a few weeks, when he told Armin all about what he was. Armin was, of course, freaked out. It wasn't hard to get Armin to freak out. He remembered the amount of comforting and repetitive assuring that was needed to make Armin trust him and Mikasa again. 

“Armin!” Eren snapped out of his thoughts as a tall, brunette skipped over to Armin and hugged him tightly, almost picking up the smaller boys’ body off the ground. Her hair was tied up in a rather messy ponytail- which told Eren it was either on purpose or she moved around a lot- and a pair of glasses was perched on her nose. “Eren, right?” He looked up at the sound of his name. “Armin told me so much about you! I'm Hanji.” She introduced herself and Eren nodded as he put out his hand but was instead pulled into a tight hug. He stood tensely and patted her back in return. “Not a big hugger then.” Hanji murmured as she pulled away.

“Hanji is in her final year. She’s studying biology. She helped me out a lot last year.” Armin quickly added context and Eren understood why Hanji looked slightly older and taller. Then again, it wasn't hard to be taller than Armin. He himself towered over the blond and matched Hanji’s height. 

As they continued walking, Eren quickly came to realize that Hanji was louder and more energetic than anybody he has ever met. She was pretty much the opposite of Mikasa. “What about you Eren?” He looked up at the mention of his name again. “Your first year, right?” 

“That’s right.” He replied quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I'm studying Photography.” 

“Oh!” Hanji squealed. “If you ever need a model, you let me know.” She winked at him and struck a pose in the middle of the street. 

To his surprise, a chuckle left his lips which quickly made Armin’s eyes widen. “I’ll keep it in mind.” He told her with a small smile and realized that he would definitely be warming up to Hanji. 

They reached a coffee shop- Cafe Rose, the sign above said- and picked a table by the middle. “You guys want anything?” Eren spoke up as they settled down. “My treat.” He added, hoping to make sure Hanji warmed up to him further. Armin declined politely and Hanji decided on a hot chocolate, although she felt bad for him buying. He assured her it was fine and walked up to the counter. 

Eren stopped just before he got there. He watched the man behind the cash register struggle with putting in more paper and pursed his lips to keep himself from making sounds. “Mike! This shitty piece of crap is not working!” The man called and was quickly joined by another man who helped him out. Eren felt amusement at the extensive vocabulary of the man. 

He was rather short compared to his older looks, as complimented by the permanent furrow between his eyes. Although, now that Eren took a closer look, his complexion and the simple feeling he gave off told Eren the guy couldn't be too old. His hair was styled in an undercut, his black fringe not allowing Eren to see his eyes well. He wore fully black clothes: the sleeves of his long sleeved top slightly pushed up. They revealed a tight, black wristband around his wrist accompanied by a silver chain. 

And then, Eren couldn't keep the smile off his face any longer. The man had a light, bright green apron on with pink, cursive writing in the middle which said ‘Cafe Rose.’ It was such a comedic sight; the man dressed in all black, with a permanent scowl on his face dressed in bright green and pink. 

He approached the counter, trying to hold in his smile. “What can I get you?” The man mumbled, his voice deep and bored; he clearly could think of better places to be than here. 

Eren placed his order, not taking his eyes off the man. He handed over the money and watched as the man looked up at him. His eyes were slightly intimidating, but a striking grey colour. They were sharp and clever as they gave Eren a look over. It was then Eren’s self control slipped and an unattractive snort escaped him. “Something wrong, brat?” He was asked sharply, the man raising his thin eyebrow at him. 

Eren decided he would look even stupider if he didn't reply. “Nice apron.” He commented and couldn't keep the smile off his face. 

The man rolled his eyes in reply and turned around to make the drinks, muttering to himself about ‘shitty brats’ and ‘spitting in the drink.’ That made Eren’s smile even bigger. 

As the man finished with the drinks and was about to hand them over, Hanji appeared next to Eren. “What’s with the deathly scowl?” She asked and Eren was about to ask her what she meant when he realized she was addressing the man. “Oh wait, that’s your happy face.” Hanji added and grinned teasingly. 

“What are you doing here, four eyes?” The man mumbled as he returned to wiping the counter. 

“It might surprise you, Levi, but people come here to drink and hang out.” Hanji teased and leaned on the counter, moving closer. Eren looked down at the man’s name tag and sure enough he watched the letters spell out ‘Levi.’ “Now, you weren't a total ass to my friend, Eren, were you?” Hanji wrapped her arm around Eren’s shoulders and focused her gaze on Levi. 

“Yes, I was perfectly delightful.” Levi replied in a blank tone, focusing his eyes on Eren. He almost dared him to say otherwise. 

“Levi, that’s not a way to make friends.” Hanji scolded like a mother would a child. “Levi’s a friend of mine.” She instead turned to look at Eren. “He’s in his last year too.” She added. That probably put Levi at around 22, if Eren was right. 

“Right, well, great to meet you.” Levi spoke again, addressing Eren, his tone as blank as ever. “Now if you excuse me, I have work to do.” He excused himself and returned to wiping the tables behind the counter. 

Hanji shook her head next to Eren and grabbed her drink. “That’s Levi for you.” She muttered as she took a sip of her drink and then hissed, realizing how hot it was. “An interesting character, isn't he?” She murmured, eyeing Eren. 

Eren raised an eyebrow and looked over Levi again, his eyes scanning over the man’s back. “I think the apron definitely adds to his appeal.” Eren commented which made Hanji burst into laughter while Levi turned his head and shot them a dirty look. 

It was then that Eren looked down at his phone and cursed at the time. He had to get going if he didn't want to be late to his first lecture. “I have to get going.” He told Hanji and Armin as they returned to the table. 

“It was nice to meet you, Eren.” Hanji grinned at him. “Hope we can do this again.” She added and he nodded in reply. They exchanged numbers and he waved at them. As he was about to leave, his gaze caught Levi’s and he couldn't resist bringing his cup up in thanks and smiling at the frowning man. He thought he saw the corner of the man’s lips twitch up before he turned away. 

Eren was smiling when he left. But that didn't last long. The reality hit him like a brick.

This wasn't his life. He wouldn't have some sort of a happy ending. He wouldn't pursue his hobbies and passions, he wouldn't work and come home to a loving family, he wouldn't teach any of his kids how to ride a bike or put plasters on their scraped knees. He wouldn't grow old, surrounded by his friends and drinking tea. 

Because he would live forever. He would act as if there was a future behind him getting a degree. He would act like he was a normal guy. He would act like he adored food. He would act normal, when he was the furthest from. 

Why? Because he was a damn bloodsucker: a vampire. 

The only thing that satisfied him was blood and he stayed clear away from silver. Sunlight made him uncomfortable and so did big crowds, full of people with blood pumping in their veins. But he would put up the act. 

He almost, almost, smiled as he brought his cup up to his lips and took a sip of the coffee filled with caffeine which would do exactly nothing to his body. He was a wolf in a sheep’s clothing. And the part which actually amused him? Nobody would be able to tell from simply looking at him. He didn't act like any other vampires he ever encountered, and that was perhaps why he was still alive. 

This time, he let a small smile slip onto his lips as he took another sip of his drink. Never believe what people tell you about vampires, kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So this is my very first long Ereri fic.  
> I've done some one shots, but I guess it's not the same.  
> I should warn you now, I have issues with finishing what I start but I will try my VERY best to finish this because I am actually SUPER excited for this!  
> So, yeah. This was just the first chapter. You haven't heard Eren's full tragic back story yet and Levi remains a full mystery. I absolutely adore Hanji, so expect her a lot more.  
> There might be some mistakes here: I don't have a beta reader and if anybody feels up to it, you're welcome to message me about it.  
> My tumblr is: surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com  
> Feel free to pester me about more updates- hopefully it will motivate me.  
> I'm excited to see what you guys thought so please leave a comment :) Thanks!  
> By the way, I was tempted to name the story 'Death Valley' because the song by Fall Out Boy kind of matched it but I decided against it at the last minute. If anybody thinks I should change it to that, let me know.


	2. 5 Years Ago Today

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren meets some of Armin's friends, sees Levi in a confusing situation and realizes it's been exactly 5 years.

His first class was an introduction to photographic techniques. The professor spoke about investigating fundamental ideas about contemporary and historical photographic practice and theory; Eren wasn't sure whether he would be interested in all of that. But as soon as digital photography, visual techniques and colour printing were mentioned, he sat up and gave his full attention. 

Later, when Eren sat in the comfort of his own dark home with a computer on his lap and researched everything the professor spoke about, he watched as Armin came into the room and shyly sat on the other end of the couch. Eren looked up from his laptop for a split second, raising his eyebrow at Armin twiddling his thumbs. “Are you alright?” He spoke up, noticing that the boy was nervous. He listened closer; his heartbeat was definitely faster than it should have been. 

“I'm not trying to pressure you into anything...” Armin started in a quiet voice, and Eren instantly knew where this was going. 

Reflexively, he knew to deny going to wherever Armin would invite him. But he tensed and thought through it; he needed to put himself out there. He could pretend he had a normal life, after all. “Go on.” He encouraged. 

“I'm supposed to be meeting a few friends at the bar down the road. We're just going to get some drinks.” Armin explained, looking up at Eren. He had stopped his usual habit of asking Eren to come out after the whole incident, but now that he saw how much better Eren was doing, he gave it a try. “Mikasa said she would join us later.” Armin added, hopefully. 

Eren nodded his head slowly and put the laptop down on the table, after closing it. “Okay.” He replied. 

“Okay?” Armin made sure. 

Eren gave him a small smile. “You don't seem to have a bad taste in friends. Hanji was really nice.” He teased and watched as Armin's face became crimson with blush. He liked Hanji, but only as the good friend that she was. But there was one issue on his mind. “Is there going to be a lot of them there?” He asked Armin. 

“What, you think I'm popular or something?” Armin laughed in reply, receiving a chuckle from Eren as well. 

~~*~~*~~

Well, damn. Armin was popular. 

Eren couldn't believe how many friends Armin had. It seemed that while Eren sat and mourned in his room, Armin was out and actually doing something with his life. 

When they got to the bar, there were already three people sitting around a booth by the back. Eren was thankful for that; the less crowded it got, the better. 

There was a guy with light ash-brown hair which was cut shorter at the back and sides. He had intense light brown eyes but with an almost viscous passion behind them. He was sitting, but Eren could see that he was tall with an average build. Each of his moves, no matter how clumsy it looked, seemed to be calculated and thought through. Eren immediately recognised the passion he saw behind his eyes; he definitely was not human. 

Next to him, sat another guy. He, in comparison, had dark hair and kind, dark golden eyes to match his tanned complexion. There seemed to be a permanent smile on his face which contrasted greatly with the constant frown the guy next to him wore. There were freckles dusted over his cheeks and there was a certain warm feeling about his whole persona. 

Opposite of them sat a girl. She was tall and with her dark brown hair pulled up into a ponytail, she seemed rather relaxed anyway. She was eating some dish- Eren wasn't too sure about the local dishes- and laughing at something one of the other guys had said. Her light brown eyes, however, were quick and clever and Eren could hear how naturally loud her voice was even from their position by the door. 

As they approached, Armin began introducing them all. The first guy Eren spotted: his name was Jean, but after seeing his face close up and realizing how long it looked, Eren settled for calling him 'horse face.' The other guy's name was Marco, and he immediately went on to introduce himself warmly. His name suited his personality, Eren thought. The girl's name was Sasha and Eren quickly came to the realization that she was a rather loud character with an impulsive appetite and an eccentric personality. 

As Eren slid into the seat next to Armin and they ordered a beer, he was met with a hurricane of questions. “So, Eren. What are you studying?” Sasha spoke up, her mouth still half-full. Eren was about to reply when he was cut off by her, “I'm studying Home Economics. I know, I don't look like the type to cook but I mean, it's food, you know. How can you not love food?” She was cut off by a small cough from Marco. 

“Sasha don't be rude.” He spoke up and smiled over at Eren. “Let Eren speak.” 

“She wouldn't know manners if you shoved them down her throat together with all the food.” Jean murmured under his breathe and Eren watched as Sasha looked up and shot him a dirty look. Marco cleared his throat again, after shaking his head and scolding Jean, and looked expectantly at Eren. 

“Photography.” Eren quickly got out, not liking the attention being on him. 

Marco looked genuinely interested. “Really? That's amazing.” He commented. 

Eren realised he actually wanted the conversation to continue. “And you?” 

“I'm in my third year of Sociology.” Marco was quick to add to the conversation. 

“Oh.” Eren added, quickly adding up that Marco was older than Armin and himself by a year. Eren wasn't even sure how Armin had met people that were older than him. 

“Yeah, one more year and me and Jean are out of here.” Marco added to the conversation, smiling over to look at Jean who averted his gaze and instead looked down at the table. “Jean studies business.” Marco quickly added, spotting the look on Eren's face. 

“You don't have to tell him everything, Marco.” Jean finally spoke up, looking over to his friend but looking away before their gazes could meet. Eren raised an eyebrow; there was definitely something going on between those two. 

“Sorry I'm late!” They looked up as a short guy came running in. He caught his breathe as he sat himself- or threw himself- down at the seat next to Marco. His gold eyes noticed Eren and he grinned. “Oh! Hey! I'm Connie.” He introduced himself and Eren leaned forward to shake his hand before muttering 'Eren.' 

Marco smiled at the newcomer. “Connie also studies sociology, but he's a second year student.” Marco added to the information he already presented. Eren could understand how Armin knew this guy: they were both second year students and they were both short. Eren almost chuckled to himself; shorties stuck together. He immediately remembered Levi, from the coffee shop; maybe he should hang out with Armin and Connie too. 

Casual conversations began. Eren tried to stay quiet as Armin and Sasha started talking while Marco and Connie got into a passionate conversation about sociology, with Jean adding remarks or answering to Marco when a question was directed to him. Eren sipped on his beer and just enjoyed being out of the house. 

“What about you, Eren? What are your plans for the future?” Sasha spoke up again, clearly continuing on from a previous conversation. 

“Yes, I'm curious too.” Jean added, his light brown eyes focusing entirely on Eren's teal-green orbs now. Eren recognised the spark in his eyes; Jean knew perfectly well they were of the same nature and he was teasing him about it now. Eren couldn't believe Armin's bad luck; if it wasn't bad enough Armin was best friends with two vampires, he came into contact with yet another. What were the chances? 

“I'm not sure.” He answered honestly. “Right now, I'm just doing what I enjoy.” His eyes dared Jean to challenge him again. Jean smirked in return and looked away. Eren wasn't sure what to categorize him as yet: friend or foe.

“You see?” Sasha exclaimed. “I enjoy food, so why should I not be able to study it?” Sasha commented and returned to eating while Connie made a remark about how she talked about food way too much. She gave him the middle finger in return, but still kept a grin on her face. 

“Hey.” They looked up as Mikasa approached their booth with a girl trailing behind her. The girl was considerably shorter than Mikasa but with an athletic build. She had moderately short blonde hair which was tied back right now with her fringe draping over the right side of her face. She had a pale complexion, as complimented by her blue eyes which held a sullen vibe in them. Eren almost groaned out loud. Not another one! Was this town infested with vampires or something? “This is Annie. A friend from work.” Mikasa introduced. As they went around and introduced themselves, Annie simply nodded but held his and Jean's gazes longer than anybody else's. 

They pulled up chairs and ordered their own drinks. Annie seemed to have a cold and cool demeanour, only contributing to the conversation with short answers and when asked directly, much like Eren. “Hanji isn't coming, is she?” Eren whispered over to Armin. 

“No. She had other plans.” Armin sighed. “She usually doesn't come out to bars with us until the weekend.” He added and Eren nodded. He didn't mind Hanji, he was just a bit unsure about Hanji's relationship with Levi. They seemed rather close since they exchanged insults and neither were mad at the other. 

“So are you friends with Levi? Since he's Hanji's friend...” Eren added quietly, hoping this wouldn't seem like a big deal to Armin. 

Armin shook his head. “Levi doesn't socialize much. I see him around but he never really sticks around with us.” He replied. “Why?” 

“No reason.” Eren quickly dismissed. 

~~*~~*~~

It was nearing midnight and Eren was suddenly conscious of how close the time was coming to turning into the next day. But he didn't want the next day to happen. The next day marked the exact 5 years since it happened. 

After nudging Armin and giving him a look, Armin quickly excused himself through saying he had class early the next day. The others didn't like him leaving but after Marco joined into the conversation, they quickly agreed that it was getting late. 

Eren was the first outside, taking a deep breathe of fresh air into his lungs. It didn't last long. Suddenly, he was pushed up against the wall with an unpleasant crunch coming from his back. “What's your deal?” Jean hissed at him, his hands intertwining into Eren's shirt. 

Eren narrowed his eyes at the horse face before bringing his own hands up and shoving Jean away from him. Jean stumbled back and his eyes widened. Eren felt the adrenaline kick in, a feeling he hasn't felt for some time. “I should be asking you that.” He growled. “What are you doing hanging around with Armin?” 

“So now it's a crime to have friends?” Jean replied with sarcasm clear in his voice. “It might be for you, but other people enjoy company.” 

“You know what I mean.” Eren argued. “If you're using Armin as a blood bag or something-” He was cut off by Jean's over exaggerated chuckle. 

“I'm his friend, fucker.” Jean replied clearly before frowning. “I wouldn't do that to Armin.” He added, his voice softer. 

“Well, then we have no problem.” Eren replied simply. “I'm just warning you. If you hurt Armin, I won't have a problem ripping your head off.” He hissed the last part to which Jean looked slightly amused. 

Jean rolled his eyes. “Yes, I'm trembling with fear.” He murmured. 

Eren was about to speak up again, wanting to mention Marco and how close he seemed to Jean. He secretly wondered if Jean used Marco like that. It was clear that Marco adored him and from what Eren has seen, he was the nicest guy he's ever met. He decided to defend Marco too, but then the door opened and the rest of their friends headed out. 

He quickly agreed to meet Sasha and Connie so they could show him the best pizza place around and then struck up a short conversation with Marco where they exchanged phone numbers. Eren couldn't help but notice Jean glaring at him so when Marco went in for a goodbye hug, Eren made a show of how tight the hug was. 

He, Armin and Mikasa headed one way while the others split up different ways. “So,” Eren started, finally feeling like he could breathe. “Annie is a ray of sunshine.” He received a snort from Armin and a punch to the shoulder from Mikasa. 

“She's not too bad.” Mikasa defended and Eren understood that they got along because they both had very similar characters. 

“Armin...” Eren started in return and brought his hand up to scratch at the back of his neck awkwardly. “Do you know Jean is a-” 

“Yes, I know.” Armin sighed. “I started seeing the similarities between him and you not long after I met him.” He looked up at Eren. “I'm fine with it, are you?” 

Eren shrugged. “As long as he didn't hurt you.” He muttered and then turned to Mikasa. “And what's with Annie? Is this town like some vampire hideout or something? I've seen more vampires in one night then I've seen for the past ten years.” That was a bit of an exaggeration, but Eren stuck to his point. 

“It just makes sense for a vampire to work at a hospital.” Mikasa simply added to the conversation. After that, silence followed. 

While Armin put his headphones in and Mikasa looked down at the ground, Eren found the time to look around. It was a few minutes later, when they turned a corner that he saw two people walking on the opposite side walk. 

He smelt blood before he even saw their faces up close. He saw Mikasa twitch to the corner of his eye but she didn't react. As the pair came closer, Eren quickly understood why he paid attention in the first place. 

The first man was short but with a muscular physique. Dressed in all black again- black jeans, black shirt, black leather jacket and black combat boots- and with the same frown on his face, was Levi. Next to him walked a very tall man, dressed more elegantly than Eren would ever dress with blond hair and thick eyebrows. His demeanour was calm and collected while Levi swore to himself under his breathe. 

“You're over exaggerating.” Sighed the taller man, keeping his gaze ahead. Eren strained his ears to hear their conversation. 

“Over exaggerating?” Levi burst in a harsh whisper. “Do you know how fucking hard it's going to be to get the shitty blood out of my jacket?” He hissed, rubbing at the sleeve of his leather jacket. 

“I'm sure Hanji can come up with something.” The taller man commented again, his voice calm. 

“Oh fuck off, eyebrows. I didn't see you get your good for shit designer clothes dirty.” Levi sneered again, the frown still on his face. Eren almost chuckled to himself at Levi's extensive swearing. 

“Remind me why I continue going with you?” The tall man asked quietly, his patience starting to waver. “All you do is complain.” 

“Not my fault you're fucking clingy.” Levi answered harshly again, sighing before giving up on wiping at his jacket. “If this doesn't wash off, the money to get a new jacket is coming from your fucking pay check. It was your fault, anyway. If you didn't fucking-” The taller man cleared his throat loudly and Eren watched his eyes motion over to their group of three. 

Levi instantly stopped halfway through his sentence and kept his mouth shut. He shot Eren a glare before turning to look at the ground and stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. 

As they disappeared from Eren's view, he wasn't sure what to think of the whole night. Levi looked good in a leather jacket. But, why was there blood on it?

~~*~~*~~

When they got home, Eren didn't waste time in taking off his shoes and leaving to go to his room. The pair didn't even try to stop him. They knew perfectly well what would happen. 

Eren slammed his door shut and got into his bed, climbing under the covers before curling up with the sheets drowning him. He heard Mikasa's own door slam shut and he sighed, knowing well that this wouldn't be the best day for her either. 

He looked over at the clock on the wall. 12:03AM. September 15th 2013.

He closed his eyes tightly and felt a pain erupt in his chest. It was exactly 5 years ago. 

_They had dropped off Armin at his house, teasing him about being scared of the dark while they were creatures who supposedly lived in the dark. Mikasa walked next to him, a smile playing on her lips as she remembered the good day they had. The three of them were inseparable._

_They knew something was wrong the moment they spotted their house. It hasn't been dark outside for long, but the streets were covered with shadows and hypnotizing darkness which awaited its next victim. The door to the house was open._

_The harsh smell of blood almost made him retch as he pushed the door open wider carefully. He called out for his mother, but got no reply._

_Darkness lurked behind every corner and death hung in the air like a thick fog. The walls were smeared with bloody hand prints. The floor was saturated with blood. He would have screamed and cried if he could, but all the emotions got stuck in his throat and instead his eyes pinched with the threat of tears. He stared at the once beautiful figure of his mother that was now mangled and bloodstained. A hole stabbed right through her chest, right through her kind heart, and an additional heavy smell of silver in the air._

_Behind the table lay another body. With his head bashed in and face frozen with the intense expression of helplessness, he was not as bloody as the woman- his wife- but his arm looked snapped in half, the bone visible. The inevitable hole in his chest. Eren fell to his knees and emptied the contents of his stomach._

_Grisha and Carla Jaeger pronounced murdered inside their home on September 15th 2008._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the nice comments and kudos :) I'm really glad you guys are liking it so far :D  
> Thanks to my soulmate, Ariane, for beta reading and helping me out with what to do next. She's not all that helpful, but it's the thought that counts ;)  
> Once again, thanks for the comments and reads and you know.  
> Next chapter is where the story takes a drastic turn. Sorry for the kind of boring chapter but at least I got to introduce all the characters in the story. :)  
> My tumblr is: surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com  
> x


	3. Hunter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren doesn't know what to do with himself on this day.

He didn't get out of bed when the alarm went off. He didn't get out of bed when Armin called his name. He didn't get out of bed when the arrows on the clock lined up at 11. He just wouldn't get out. 

Leaving the bed would mean leaving the thinly imagined protection he had surrounded himself with to try and blank out the reality. Leaving the bed would mean more pain.

But once the clock struck twelve, he knew he couldn't put it off. There was no way in hell his mother would ever have allowed him to ignore school. _But mom isn't here, and that's exactly why I missed my morning class and couldn't care less._ It seemed to be a viscous cycle that he would not be able to escape. 

He left the room dressed in grey jogging pants and a hoodie. He didn't see or hear anybody in the house, and a part of him was glad for that. Armin was probably in class and by looking at the time he figured Mikasa was at work. Leaning on the kitchen island, he sighed. What was he even supposed to do? 

Maybe taking a walk would clear his mind of all the bad things. And while he walked, maybe he could take some pictures he could use in future assignments. He grabbed the camera and hung it around his neck before he grabbed his wallet and left. 

He shoved his hands into his pockets. It was midday; where would he take pictures? And then he understood that the pictures weren't the goal of this. He wouldn't be able to take his mind off the repetitive, gruesome images in his head. And maybe this was the problem. He had to get rid of them. And, unfortunately, there was a large chance that talking to somebody would help. 

He didn't feel like calling any of the people he met last night. They were mostly too energetic and eccentric for him to handle right now. All he needed was somebody to listen. 

He found his way to the coffee shop he quickly knew he would get accustomed with. He didn't need food but the constant burn in his throat reminded him harshly about the great mistake he made in not feeding before he left the house. But he was neither a kid nor a blood-thirsty monster; he would be able to control it with ease. Especially since his mind wasn't focused on it as much as it was focused on the events which kept replaying in his head. 

He ordered a coffee at the front, watching as the other guy-what had Levi called him? Ah, Mike- wrote down his order on the cup and took in his money. He received his coffee and went to sit down by the window. He didn't care much for sunlight and most of the time it made him uncomfortable, but right now, he needed to see the landscape. 

He sighed and laid his head on the arm which lay on the table. His other hand squeezed at the cup of coffee. _Vampires were monsters, haven't you heard? Yet, they weren't the ones who brutally murdered his parents, and made a show of it, too._ He relaxed his hand before he broke the cup. 

When he was 15, Eren vowed he would get revenge. He was young and naïve, thinking he had any sort of chance going against hunters. Hunters had their abilities passed down through bloodline. Parents taught their kids, who in turn taught their kids and so on. They were quick, brutal and unforgiving. There was no begging for your life. If you faced a hunter, you were dead. That's why he tried so hard to stay off the radar. 

While vampires were not that hard to find, there were certain things that gave them away. The dislike of sunlight was a subtle hint, since they could still survive it. But if you saw a person trying to avoid leaving the house during the day, you would keep your eye on them. Of course, the next hint were the fangs and the easily aggravated thirst for blood. There was no need for any more proof once you saw the fangs pop out. Seeing a person avoiding silver was a huge sign too. Silver was too pure for vampires to be near it; it was fatal. A silver stake to the heart was the death blow. And finally, from what Eren had heard, there was one more thing. Not many hunters could see it, only the most talented did, but vampires carried a certain dead aura around them. Everything around them died rather quickly and the air became tense with their presence. 

Fortunately, Eren wasn't stupid. After what happened with his parents he worked on everything throughout his whole life just to not get caught. He learned to control his thirst to the point where a puddle of blood in front of him did only scratch at his throat. Silver was still deadly, and forever would be, but through wearing silver jewellery he managed to lessen the extent of its damage on his skin. The silver necklace hidden under his neckline, burning at his skin, was an example of that. And even though he wasn't completely sure, he worked on the aura. The plants in his room were still alive, which must have meant he was making progress. 

The door opening with the bell snapped him out and he looked up from the cold surface of the table. Levi strolled in with purpose, going behind the counter and entering a back door where he must have dropped off his bag and coat because only seconds later he was at the front counter in the embarrassing apron and viciously scrubbing at the counter top. 

Eren looked down at his watch, finding it to be 12:44PM. Levi must have come back from his morning classes. Now that Eren thought about it, he didn't even know what the guy studied. 

He shook his head and looked away, avoiding to creepily stare at him. Instead he turned to the window, where the sun was high in the sky over the buildings in the distance. He brought his camera up, and after adjusting a few things, snapped the photo. It couldn't hurt to have it. He looked down at it and smiled very lightly. He brought the camera up again to work on the setting when he caught another target in the lens. He stopped looking through the camera and instead chose to look at Levi with his own eyes. 

The sun shining through the window reflected onto his face, bringing life that Eren failed to see before. The grey eyes sparkled with life and danger, and just by that Eren was able to tell Levi was the kind of person who would rather take a chance with minimal success than give up overall. His hair was soft and under the light, looked almost alive and Eren found his hand itching to touch it. Light reflected back at him and it was only then Eren saw Levi had an ear piercing, two silver hoops pierced through the top of his ear. It must have been hidden under his hair before. 

He frowned and looked away. This wasn't right. Developing crushes right now was the last thing he needed. 

“Oi, brat! What's with the fucking permanent scowl on your face?” He looked up to see Levi leaning on the counter top and looking his way. Eren was conscious of others hearing their conversation but there was only one other person in the café and the girl had headphones on and was typing on her laptop. 

“You should talk.” Eren replied blankly but Levi almost grinned as he heard him reply. Perhaps that's what he wanted; he just wanted to get a reaction. “And quit calling me a brat. I'm not much younger than you.” 

Levi watched him carefully for a minute, those clever grey eyes moving back and forth over him. “I think it's your face.” He finally spoke up. “You have those wide, child-like eyes,” He moved his hand in a gesture to accompany his speech before he let a teasing smirk grow on his lips again,”They just sparkle with innocence.” 

Eren had to stop himself from actually chuckling. Oh, Levi, if only you knew I was a murderer. “Don’t you have work?” He finally shot back, hoping he would persuade the man to stop talking. He was nice to look at, but it seemed most of the things that left his mouth were either insults or teasing. 

“Shouldn't you be in class?” Levi snapped back and Eren immediately quietened down. “It's a two way street, kid.” Levi shot him a smirk again before walking around the counter and wiping at the tables in front of it. Eren was starting to think Levi had a thing for cleaning. 

He looked down at the notes he made in his previous class and silently tried to guess what happened in the class he had missed in the morning. His mind, clearly not satisfied with the activity, started going off again. _Blood. So much blood. The stench of silver in the air._

“Are you alright?” He looked up quickly as Levi ungracefully sat himself in the seat opposite of him. He unclenched his fists, feeling a slight stinging pain where his fingernails had dug into his skin. 

“I'm fine.” He replied simply. 

Levi didn't leave. He looked down at the camera on the table and reached for it before Eren could even start to protest. Levi brought to camera up and aimed the lens at Eren. He pressed the button and handed the camera over the Eren, showing him the picture. “Your face says otherwise.” He pointed out, showing him the proof. 

His eyes, once a bright teal-green, were now just a dull colour. His cheeks had sunken and there were bags under his eyes. Eren didn't realise how much effect the lack of blood was actually having on his body. But he should have predicted it; he hasn't been feeding as much as he should have. “Rough day.” He replied shortly again. 

“At least you don't have to wear a fucking stupid apron at a shitty minimum wage job before going home and writing a fucking essay on some shitty artist you could not give two fucks about.” Levi pointed out and Eren furrowed his eyebrows as he looked up. 

“The apron isn't so bad.” He commented dryly, hoping the dry humour was enough to make Levi realise he was still making fun of the apron. “You swear a lot.” 

Levi sneered, “No shit.” He replied. “But at least I don't come into your house with a fucking scowl on my face and then refuse to tell you what's wrong when asked.” 

Eren furrowed his eyebrows. “This isn't your house.” He pointed out. “It's a coffee shop.” 

Levi rolled his eyes, his patience clearly wavering. “It was a pretty shit metaphor, okay?” He grumbled. “I don't know where the fuck you spend your time.” 

Eren shook his head and took a hold of his camera again. “Trust me, you don’t wanna know.” He murmured. He brought the camera up and without thinking snapped a picture. He looked down at the picture he just took and had to hold back a chuckle: Levi was giving him probably one of the dirtiest looks he could muster. 

“That's an invasion of privacy, so you now officially owe me something in return.” Levi pointed out cleverly. 

Eren rolled his eyes. “It's been 5 years since my parents were murdered.” He spat, hoping to get Levi to finally shut up. 

Levi remained silent. Eren almost patted himself on the back; he received the response he knew he would. Next came the 'sorry' and more comforting words. But maybe he could get a free coffee out of this. 

“Sucks.” Levi commented and Eren looked up at him in shock. That was not what he expected at all. “My mom died when I was 10. My dad left and I haven't seen him since.” Once Levi saw the look on his face, he continued,”I'm not going to tell you I'm sorry or feel sympathy, because I know from experience that shit never helps. All you can do it suck it up and move on.” He then stood up and returned to the counter.

Eren sat frozen after the conversation. And even though what Levi said was harsh, Eren knew deep inside that the man was right. And for that, he respected him. 

~~*~~*~~

As soon as he got home, the pensive mood Levi had put him in was gone and replaced with all the angst and anger of what today really was. He grabbed the nearest vase with flowers and threw it at the opposite wall, making the glass shatter and the flowers fall limply to the ground. He yelled out how unfair it was, his voice rising above the walls before the sobs overtook his body and he slid down the wall, his head cradled in his arms. 

“Eren?” Mikasa's quiet voice reached his ears. He didn't look up at her but instead stared at the colourful flowers which lay on the floor. He watched as they slowly withered away until there was no colour to them and they were ready to dissolve with a single touch. He didn't bother bringing it all under control; he just left it. 

“I'm sorry.” He whispered, because Mikasa took pride in making sure there were always colourful plants around to house to contrast the darkness. 

“It's fine.” She looked thoughtful for a second, like she was ready to come over and hug him but decided against it. She shook her head and sighed before leaving him alone in the hallway. 

_“Mom! Mom!” He had cried above the lifeless body, his hand reaching out to run through his mother's knotted hair._

_A hand at his shoulder stopped him,”Eren, we have to leave.” Mikasa told him blankly. “The cops will get here soon and they will have questions.” He looked up at Mikasa in shock; how could she be so calm about this? But he saw the pain behind her dark eyes, the pain she did not dare to express._

“Eren?” Why couldn't they just leave him alone? “I was hoping to get you out of the house. You can't go through this alone, Eren. You've done so for so long and it's clear that-” He didn't bother listening to any more of Armin's words. His body reacted on reflex, without his control. 

He only needed a second to stand in front of Armin, glaring down at him. Completely ignoring his own desires, his fangs snapped down in a threatening manner and Armin took a quick step back. “I don't need your fucking help, Armin.” He growled, his fists clenching. Once his nails dug into his skin in pain, his eyes widened in realization at what he had just done. He looked away, backed down and let the sharp canines retract to his gums as he shook his head, “I'm sorry, Armin.” He whispered, apologizing yet again. “I need to leave.” 

He opened the door and walked out into the coming twilight. He heard Armin yell his name but he ignored it. Instead, he scanned the surroundings quickly making sure there were no witnesses and then ran. He ran faster than a human eye could conceive, and he was grateful for not being on show for once. 

He headed for a roof. He wanted to get on a higher ground. He found some hotel building with a ladder scaled down the side which he climbed quickly. Once he stood on the roof and looked out into the dark, starry sky, he fell to his knees and sobbed. It was the only thing he could do. 

~~*~~*~~

It must have been hours later when he heard noises. There was a girl's voice, clearly protesting but quickly faded out by laughs from two other, deep voices. He looked over the side of the roof and peered down at the scene. Who was he to stop them? This wasn't his fight. 

His sight let him see every detail as the men tore at the woman's dress. But then, a flash of something else caught his eye: fangs. He rolled his eyes; these stupid fuckers would let the secret slip and once hunters got a whiff of vampires around these parts, they wouldn't leave until they got them. Which put him and Mikasa- and damn, even Jean and Annie- at risk. 

“Hey!” Eren's head snapped to look at the new voice and he froze. What was he doing here? “Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?” Levi almost growled as he headed for the pair. 

The taller vampire scoffed and looked over him. “There isn't anybody our size here.” He commented, referring to Levi's shorter posture. 

Eren watched Levi's eyes move from the woman and then back to the vampire. _Run, you naïve fuck,_ Eren felt like screaming. The thought of Levi dead actually upset him, and Eren quickly understood that he must have actually liked the guy. 

“Look, you fucking leech, you have about 5 seconds to run and try to hide before I come and find you.” Levi threatened, his voice lowering to a dangerous hiss. Eren raised his eyebrows; so Levi knew what they were. But how?

The vampire laughed, a cold, emotionless laugh. “You're in no place to threaten us.” He answered, followed by a scream from the woman. The other vampire's fangs sank into the skin of her neck and Eren cringed at the smell of blood in the air. 

And then Levi reacted. It was a quick, precise move with the speed almost worthy of a vampire. He reached back, grabbed a hold of something and let the object fly through the air before it hit its target. The vampire screamed in pain and Eren's eyes widened to see a silver-tipped stake piercing into the vampire's shoulder. The creature hissed again and he took it out of his skin but didn't have even more time to act because Levi was right there. 

The vampire was dealt a kick to the stomach, followed by one directly to his face before being shoved at the wall. The other vampire reacted now, hissing as it let go of the woman who scrambled to her feet and started running, the smell of blood leaving with her. Eren sat frozen as he watched the scene unravel. Levi reached for yet another stake and his hand moved quickly to aim at the vampire's chest, but then the other vampire was pulling him back and away. With a quick elbow to his face, Levi spun and kicked at the vampire's legs, bringing him down to the ground with a painful crunch that even Eren heard. With a quick motion, the stake was pierced through its target and the vampire's pain-filled cries filled the alley. Levi pushed down at the stake with his foot, making sure it went right through the target. But of course, this took his sight off the other target. 

The other vampire attacked with quick and precise moves and Eren was already half over the ledge when he caught himself and realised he could not intervene. There was something off about Levi and he wasn't sure whether he wanted to find out what it was. He saw the vampire's nails elongate right before it struck; the smell of blood rising in the air again. 

But even injured, Levi was fast. He attacked, dropping kicks and punches worthy of a black belt- which Eren slowly started realizing he might have had- before picking up the stake that was previously dropped. Eren had seen previous fights like this, but he forced himself not to believe it, although he already knew the answer. 

Levi was a hunter. A hunter of the same kind who mercilessly killed his parents. Levi was his sworn enemy. 

Once he focused back on battle, he understood it was over. The dead vampire lay on the ground, its skin paling further and the stench of its blood wafting through the air. Levi leaned against the wall with a groan and brought his hand up to his waist, under his leather jacket. When he retreated his hand, his fingers were covered with crimson and Eren's eyes widened. 

Making sure to get himself under control, he was on the ground in a matter of seconds. It was all purely instinctual. 

“Levi?” He called out into the alley. The man turned and gave him a glare before turning to look at the bodies and then back to Eren. Oh, yes, he had to fake shock. “What the fuck happened?” He exclaimed as he came closer. 

“Just leave, brat.” Levi snapped, his voice pained as he brought his wrist up and checked the time. Eren suspected Levi would get somebody to clean the mess before morning came. 

“You just killed someone.” Eren spoke blankly, adding to the act. Maybe if he played his cards right, he could find out more about the hunters. And then, he could get his revenge. A voice in the back of his head laughed at him; he wouldn't be able to get revenge. But he disagreed, now was his chance. 

“I killed _something._ ” Levi hissed back and pushed off the wall, walking slowly towards Eren before walking right past him. Ah, the old 'vampires aren't human' argument. Eren turned and looked after him.

“You're hurt.” He spoke simply and Levi stopped walking. With the stench of blood, Eren could tell the injury was not a simple scratch; it was quite deep. His throat burned with thirst, not having fed the whole day. But he pushed it all back. One wrong move and he was certain that even injured, Levi would be able to kill him. He just took down two vampires on his own!

“And how does that concern you?” Levi snapped and Eren's eyes widened as he saw the blood dripping down his trousers and onto the floor. 

“You're losing a lot of blood. You'll lose consciousness soon enough.” Eren pointed out cleverly. He then sighed, his throat working as he neared Levi and the smell became even stronger. “Let me help you out.” 

Levi didn't say anything for a few seconds. “You just saw me kill someone.” He pointed out blankly. 

“Yes.” Eren agreed. “And you'll have your time to explain that. But right now, I think the main objective is to not have you die.” _You're too valuable and full of information for that._ Eren stepped closer and carefully grabbed Levi's arm, receiving a glare but no protests. He put it around his shoulders, with Levi having to stretch up slightly. “Where do you live?”

~~*~~*~~

Levi's house was very similar looking to Eren's. Around 5 minutes away from the café and 10 minutes away from the university, it was very comfortable-looking and spotlessly clean. So Eren was right, Levi was definitely a clean freak.

Once they stepped in, Levi directed him to the bathroom at the end of the hallway. “Where is your first aid kit?” Eren looked around, feeling his chest tighten at the amount of silver that was in the house. It was definitely supposed to detect when vampires came in. As it was, he forced himself through pain and not hissing when his hand touched the silver doorknob. He couldn't give away his secret; especially now, when he was literally in the middle of a house filled with weapons to kill vampires. 

“Under the counter.” Levi replied weakly, the constant blood loss obviously having an effect. If Eren could have, he would have picked him up and ran them to his house. But of course, that would have been stupid. 

Eren reached under, closing his eyes tightly in pain but not making a sound when his hand touched the silver handles. He brought out the first aid kit but didn't hand it over when Levi gestured to hand it to him. Eren shook his head,”I'll patch it up. Take your shirt off.” And if it was an excuse to see the man shirtless, well, pronounce him guilty.

Levi shot him a glare but with a roll of his eyes obeyed anyway and pulled his black shirt over his head. It left his hair messy and Eren felt himself freeze for a second. The first thing that caught his eyes was the wound; it looked messy and the three claws that dug into the skin clearly broke a few tissues. It still continued bleeding so Eren set to work quickly. 

After making sure the wound was clean (with a few hisses and curses from Levi), he bandaged it tightly and leaned back to inspect his work. Now that the danger was avoided, his eyes scanned over Levi's muscular physique. Sure, he was rather short but what made up his body was pure muscle and Eren silently started wondering how much training hunters had to do. He looked up at Levi, who gave him a grateful nod and his eyes started drifting away, making sure not to stare at the shirtless man too much. 

His eyes caught the mirror on the wall to which Levi stood with his back. A large tattoo took over the whole of his back, pair of black and white wings which Eren quickly noticed as a logo of the hunters. It was absolutely stunning, but the thing that it stood for was horrible. Even so, Eren couldn't take his eyes off the artistic tattoo and had to agree that it suited Levi perfectly. “Nice tattoo.” He murmured and looked down. 

“Thanks.” Levi grumbled, and Eren looked up at him while realization crawled in that Levi hadn't swore for quite a long time. “And thanks for this.” He motioned to the bandage to which Eren replied with a small smile. After catching himself in the act, he came to realize the smile was genuine, not fake.

“Levi! Are you home? Erwin said that he didn't go with you cause you were being a little bi-” Hanji's voice stopped half way through her yelling once she spotted the situation in the bathroom. Eren took a small step back and watched as Hanji's eyes scanned the move carefully. If they lived together, it was only normal to assume Hanji was a hunter. And the tall, blond guy- perhaps Erwin?- who he saw Levi with the other night.

“Yes, eyebrows does tend to act like a fucking wounded puppy when he doesn't get what he fucking wants.” Levi murmured back to Hanji, picking up the blood-stained shirt and scrunching up his face in disgust. “I need to change. Show Eren around, would you?” He looked up at Eren then, his grey eyes burning into Eren's own teal-green. “We need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again for all the nice comments and 500+ hits! You're great, guys!  
> I would like you to know I absolutely hate stories which move fast like them being nice to each other one chapter and saying 'I love yous' the next, so this story is going to go down a little slower.  
> If you haven't realised, Eren has some issues. Sorry if I portray them wrong: I don't actually have first hand experience with a relative dying.  
> Oh, yeah, you guys keep liking the constant, quick updates. Yeah, about that. That's only happening because I was off school. I'm back in school tomorrow so the updates are going to come slower now. Hope you can hang in there with me :)  
> But thanks for reading! And tell me what you think about Levi (whom I love to write since I myself swear every other word) and Eren interacting and exactly what's happened. I'm no good at action scenes; my speciality is bloody murders haha :')


	4. Extensive Vocabulary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren finds out more about Levi.  
> Levi has Hanji do research on something that's been bugging him.

After a short tour of the house, (which consisted of two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom) Hanji began to talk excitedly about dissecting things in biology and how the human brain was capable of still working for around ten minutes even after the heart had stopped beating. Eren silently wondered if that was the case for vampires; it didn't seem like it was.

Five minutes later Levi emerged, dressed in a new- still fully black in colour- outfit and with wet hair. Eren merely avoided rolling his eyes: clean freak. The talk was very similar to what he had told Armin once. Levi left most of the talking to Hanji- since she was so good at it- and Eren faked shock at receiving the news. Maybe he should have studied drama and performance.

Hanji talked about the way vampires lived and survived, which Eren found a load of bullshit. She herself was a hunter; however, although she sometimes went out and tried hunting with Levi and Erwin, she confirmed that she was more interested about the biological aspect of vampires. Great, now he found somebody who would want to dissect him. She spoke about killing methods and deadly allergies to things like silver which of course, Eren already knew. This wasn't getting him any closer to finding out more about hunters.

Afterwards, Hanji offered that he should stay the night but Levi insisted that he would walk him home, and Eren couldn't agree quicker. He would definitely have to tell Mikasa and Armin everything. It didn't matter there were only three of them; the hunters were clearly trained to be some of the best, from the things Eren had seen and heard.

“It's a lot to take in.” Levi commented, eyeing him warily from the corner of his eye as they walked down the side walk, through the night air. The air felt crisp and fresh on Eren's skin, but it did not help the constant burn of his throat. “You said your parents were murdered.” Levi murmured after a short period of silence. Eren didn't reply. “Was it vampires?”

“No.” Eren snapped harshly, a growl making its way up his throat. His parents' death would definitely not be blamed on others of his kind.

“Calm down, just wondering.” Levi mumbled back. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He pressed one to his thin lips and lit it up while taking a deep breath in. He motioned the pack to Eren but instead of grabbing a new one, Eren plucked the already lit cigarette from between Levi's lips and brought it up to his own. Since caffeine didn't have much of an effect, perhaps nicotine would.

Levi's eyebrows raised at him as he handed it back. “You got guts, kid.” He commented, smirking as he brought the stick to his lips again.

“What's your story anyway?” Eren murmured suddenly. He found himself genuinely wanting to know. “You must be pretty fucked up to be hunting vampires.” He commented drily and wondered if Levi would hit him.

Levi chuckled humourlessly. “I guess I am.” He replied and Eren frowned; it sounded like genuine sadness in his voice for a second. “I already told you. Mom died and my father ditched, looking for revenge. She was killed by a vampire.” _Ah, so he and Levi both craved revenge._ “I moved in with a friend and his family and once we turned 18, we were out. We kill whatever vampire we find.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.

“So you kill for revenge.” Eren commented blankly.

“Well, it's not a fucking hobby.” Levi snapped back and looked away. “Some vampires were human once. They were innocent people.” _Were_ , being the key word. Eren never knew what it was to be fully human. Born as a product of two vampires mating, he never understood how sunlight could be relaxing or how exquisite different foods tasted.

“So you don't believe that a vampire could be a good person?” Eren asked and almost pinched himself with how much of his real emotion there was behind the question; if he was lucky, Levi would either not notice it or ignore it. He wanted to see what Levi thought; maybe then he could decide how much of a threat the hunter was.

“I'll believe in one when I see one.” Levi snapped harshly and huffed, the cigarette smoke escaping through his nose. “You saw the ones tonight.” He spat. “Disgusting creatures.” Eren didn't comment. Once they reached Eren's house, Levi sighed. “I'm sorry for the shit day you had.” He spoke in a low tone, his grey eyes flicking up to meet Eren's. Under the moonlight, Levi looked like a raven, with his dark hair and dark eyes, all accompanied by dark clothing.

“It's not your fault.” Eren whispered, but he knew that was partly a lie. Levi was a hunter; it was the hunters who killed his parents and were at fault in everything that have gone wrongly in Eren's life. “See you around.” Eren murmured- after ignoring the fact he really wanted to see Levi around- and turned away to walk to his door.

He heard a faint 'bye' in reply before the door slammed shut and he breathed a sigh of relief. At all odds, a small smile curved on his lips. He groaned and slammed his head against the door to get rid of it. _God, he was worse than a teenage girl with a crush._

~~*~~*~~

He looked down at yet another text from Mikasa and rolled his eyes as he deleted the message. Since he came back and told them everything last night, Mikasa has done nothing but pestered him about staying away from Levi or insisted they should move houses since now Levi knew where they lived. Eren ignored it all.

Was it so bad that he didn't want to stay away from Levi? Sure, the guy was incredibly rude, arrogant and he had a shitty sense of humour; but he understood Eren. Levi's presence somehow made him feel calmer. He now knew Levi went through the exact same thing he did. And, of course, he wasn't too bad on the eyes.

After receiving information about his first assignment in class, Eren headed to the cafe. He texted back Marco about how his class went and then called Armin, pestering him about ordering pizza tonight: nothing wrong with a large Meat Feast. He then walked into the cafe and almost- _almost_ \- grinned as he saw Levi in the bright green apron. He settled for a small smile.

“The other day you said you had to write an essay about some artist. What do you study?” Were the first words he spoke to the raven. It was only now he realized how little he actually knew about Levi.

Levi raised a thin eyebrow, “What, you fucking writing a book or something?” He teased while Eren rolled his eyes and ordered his usual. “Art.” Levi told him as he handed him the coffee.

“The art of killing?” Eren teased, his voice lowering slightly. Although Levi gave him a glare and a shove at his shoulder, the corners of his lips turned up slightly. Eren counted that as a win. He chuckled and went to sit down at a table in the back before taking out all the sheets from class and a notebook.

He looked through his camera and smiled at all the pictures he took along the way. He had a few already and his mind quickly worked on where he could be going next. He took a sip of his coffee as he wrote down the effect the pictures had.

Eren couldn't comprehend what he had seen the previous night. He watched the grey-eyed man wiping the tables and couldn't understand how the man who made his coffee everyday and handed it over with a snarky remark was the very same man who was destined to kill him. He refused to believe Levi would kill him.

A few minutes later he was startled by somebody sitting down in front of him. “Come on then, brat.” Levi huffed while he made himself comfortable. “Let's see the pictures.” He waved over to the camera and Eren shrugged as he handed it over.

Levi raised an eyebrow as his thumb continued to press the button. “Why do you have pictures of fucking doors and windows?” He asked slowly, his eyes leaving the camera for a second to look up at Eren before his eyes returned back down.

Eren shrugged and scratched the back of his neck while a small blush crept up on his cheeks,”It's an assignment.” He explained. “They're everywhere, but if you pay careful attention you see how each is different from the other and how they just have that hidden...something. You know?” Eren tried to remember exactly what the professors had told him. He smiled lightly,”Peeling paint, smashed windows, ornate knockers; they're all so diverse.”

Levi nodded, still looking down. “It's the same with painting. You look at the smallest details. Just getting the right shade of colour can tell a story by itself.” Levi murmured, his voice getting softer. Eren smiled lightly; perhaps he really did enjoy art.

“I didn't pin you for the arty type.” Eren commented with ease, sipping on his coffee.

Levi looked up at him then, putting down the camera. “Didn't anybody tell you not to judge a book by its fucking cover?” Levi replied simply, crossing his legs and leaning further back into the comfortable seats.

“Tell me something else.” Eren encouraged, leaning forward on his elbows.

“This isn't fucking show and tell.” Levi protested.

Eren rolled his eyes, “You're not showing me anything.” He pointed out. 

“Not yet.” Levi replied and actually- Eren's eyes widened instantly: did Levi just wink?

“Come on.” Eren whined lightly.

Levi rolled his eyes. “I thoroughly enjoy cleaning.” He stated.

Eren rolled his eyes yet again, “No shit.” He sneered while Levi shot him a dirty look.

“I have an embarrassingly big obsession with cats.” Levi spoke again, his face completely serious.

Eren couldn't help but let a chuckle escape his throat. “Cats hate me.” He commented. _Oh yeah, that's cause I'm a vampire. It's either that or my sparkling personality that they hate._

“In high school I kept failing English.” Levi spoke up again, a small smile starting to curve on his lips.

“What?” Eren asked, over exaggerated shock showing on his face. “With your extensive vocabulary of 'fucking' and 'shitty'? Not possible.” He chuckled at Levi's frown again.

“What's your last name?” Levi suddenly asked and Eren raised an eyebrow.

“Jaeger.”

Levi's eyebrows rose to that confession. “It's strange.” He murmured but didn't expand on that when Eren gave him a questioning look. “What about you, Jaeger? Any confessions?”

 _Oh, where to start._ “I'm a pretty hardcore gamer, although I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.”

Levi stared at him for a moment before he pursed his lips and looked away. “Should have known. You look the type to spend your Saturday nights in front of a computer playing shitty games and then jerking off to an N'Sync video.”

Eren's eyes widened and he felt the blush creeping up at Levi's plain words. Levi didn't seem fazed at all. It was as if these words just tumbled out of his mouth but he never bothered to try and catch himself from saying them. “I don't- I'm not- I-” Eren managed to stutter.

Levi smirked then, his face almost lighting up. “Don't go all virgin on me now, Jaeger.” He teased.

“I am not a virgin!” Eren argued back quickly.

Levi leaned forward, his elbows supporting his upper body on the table. “I know.” He spoke, his voice lowering suddenly. “You got eyes way too fucking pretty to not use them.” He commented easily. “But it got you to say it out loud and blush like a virgin, didn't it?” He smirked again before pushing away from the table and standing up, leaving to serve a costumer that just came in.

Eren stared after him in shock, not sure whether to be glad or plainly embarrassed. _Both_ , he decided. _Both was good._

~~*~~*~~

“What's up, Ravioli?”

“I told you to stop fucking calling me that, you shitty four eyes.”

“Alright, toilet humour, calm down. What's up?”

Levi rolled his eyes at yet another stupid nickname. “I need you to find something out for me.” He told her. “Call it research.”

“Ooh!” She squealed over the phone, Levi grumbling as he pulled the phone away from his ear for a second. “But is there a reason you can't use the internet yourself?”

“I'm a little fucking busy.” He hissed back and stopped walking for a second when he thought he heard some sounds in the darkness.

“So, wait,” Hanji paused for a second. “Are you fucking someone, perhaps a photography student with gorgeous eyes, or are you just busy?” She teased again and he rolled his eyes at her stupid humour. He would never regret anything more than talking to Hanji about the colour of Eren's eyes.

“I'm out.” He stated blankly.

“Oh, good!” She exclaimed. “Cause I was going to say, making a phone call in the middle of sex would be _so_ rude and I would never let you-”

“Look, you fucking four eyes, this is important.” Levi finally growled, his patience wearing thin. “I need you to check the records on something.”

“Ooh, official business.” Hanji hummed and clicked her tongue. “Go on.”

“I need you to look up 'Jaeger.'” He told her, pronouncing the surname clearly.

Hanji sighed on the other end of the phone, “Levi, if this is some controlling stalker move on Eren then I don't think it's going-”

“Just fucking do it.” He snapped. “It sounds familiar to me.” He sighed, letting his fingers run through his hair in frustration. “And I mean, it literally fucking translates to 'hunter' in German so there must be fucking something up with that.”

“Watch out Levi, or I might start thinking you're smarter than me.”

“I am smarter than you.” He shot back simply. “A six year old's shit that he just took is smarter than you.”

Hanji sighed on the other end of the line. “And you wonder why people say you have a terrible sense of humour.”

“Oh fuck off.”

“How is Eren doing, anyway?”

Levi paused for a second. “Quite well.” He replied quietly, his eyebrows furrowing. It didn't all add up. “A bit too well.”

“Now, don't go accusing the boy of something you're not sure about.” Hanji quickly told him, her voice stern like that of a mother's. Levi almost smiled, maybe that's exactly what he needed.

“It's not like I want to.” Levi murmured in reply.

Hanji squealed again, “You so like him, Ravioli.” She commented.

“Shut up.”

“Now, it might take some time to dig up the records but I should have something at least tomorrow night.” Hanji told him.

He rolled his eyes and sighed. “The one time I depend on you...”

She clicked her tongue again. “Now don't give me that disappointed talk!” She exclaimed fiercely. “Erwin had me doing research and contacting hunters all around and I do have studies to keep up with too, you know!”

“Why is he doing that?” Levi asked, not knowing about the arrangement.

“Well maybe if you spent less time with your boy toy, you would know.” Hanji teased again, her firm voice disappearing. “I don't know. When do we ever know what Erwin is planning?” She sighed and he could almost feel her fingers rubbing her eyes tiredly. “He's still pretty pissed at you, though.”

Levi rolled his eyes in exasperation, “He's too fucking proud of himself. Erwin just can't handle rejection.” He stated. “He'll probably fucking punish me some way for it later, anyway.” He added in a mumble.

“Yeah, but you keep forgetting that every time you throw a fit and get him pissed off, he takes it out on the people around him!” Hanji exclaimed, irritation at Erwin clear in her voice. “Would it kill you to just-” A sound in the alley caught his ears and he hung up with a quick 'bye.'

His eyes narrowed at the darkness and his right hand felt the end of the stake stashed at his waist. He sighed, and walked into the alley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I have next to none knowledge of photography or art. Most things are google'd or common sense.  
> Sorry, it's quite a short chapter. But teachers have been bugging me about work that I'm behind with already. I'll try to update every other day but it's a possibility that I might not be able to do that.  
> Also, sorry for the slightly boring chapter but I do need them to get to know each other, you know. How can I add romance when they're hardly friends?  
> [My tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)  
> Thank you to those who are sending me messages on tumblr. I absolutely love reading those! :D  
> I think next chapter is gonna be a bit more friendly stuff again but then chapter 6 or 7 will probably kick off into the drama llama. So cherish this while you can.  
> Also, I really want to write an explicit scene later on in the fic. But it will be my first time and I don't really have a beta reader since my friend is kind of uncomfortable with it and I'm not really going to have my boyfriend read it cause awks. Anybody up for helping me with that? I would send you the first draft when the time comes and see if it works.  
> Thanks for all the lovely comments and all the kudos! x


	5. Dare or Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi spend more time together.  
> Erwin has a serious talk with Levi.  
> Eren is forced into a game of 'dare or dare.'

Vampires weren't always able to walk in the sun. But every species evolve at its own pace. In their particular species, evolution was slow but definitely worthwhile. Once life-threatening and dangerous, sunlight was now only irritating and uncomfortable. 

What was Eren doing here then, he wasn't sure. 

“If this is your idea of a fucking date, then I can see why you don't get laid much.” Levi commented, his fingers plucking at the grass under him. He was doing it absent-mindedly out of boredom, but as he raised his hand up and looked up at now dirty nails he frowned instantly. 

“If this was a date, you'd know it.” Eren replied, his eyes fixed completely on the view in front of him. He adjusted the lens of the camera again. 

“Because you're so fucking romantic?” Levi teased, his eyes squinting up as he looked at Eren standing against the sunset and fiddling with his camera. 

“Is it so weird that I enjoy your presence?” Eren asked in return, finally turning to face Levi. After their little chat in the cafe, they exchanged numbers and the continuous texts began. He asked Levi if the raven wanted to take a look around for good places to take artistic pictures and he agreed to come if Eren brought him a milkshake along the way. They found the field just on the outskirts of town (after walking for god knows how long) where the sun hit the horizon in a perfectly clear view; Eren had to take the opportunity. 

“Yes.” Levi replied simply which made Eren huff and roll his eyes. “Most people don't like my great sense of humour and my lively personality.” He explained, his voice dripping with irony, which made Eren chuckle. 

“Well, I tolerate them.” He replied, the smile evident in his voice. He felt better in Levi's presence than anybody else's, ironically. “Now shut up and drink your milkshake.” Eren turned to the sunset again. When he met Levi two weeks ago, he didn't realize how close he would become to the man. 

Levi didn't bring up vampires or hunting in conversation. It was as if he completely ignored that part of his life. So Eren had no choice but to go along and simply wait for the inevitable to happen; he had to stop kidding himself. One of these days, Levi would catch on to what Eren was and one of them would have to die. Eren cringed at the thought of dying and leaving Mikasa and Armin to grief him; it definitely wouldn't be him dying. 

Levi smiled lightly and in turn brought out his sketchbook. He had let Eren have a look at it a few days back, with Eren cleverly pointing out that the raven had seen his work and it worked both ways. To Eren's surprise, his art wasn't all black and dark like the look he gave off. It was a perfect mixture of everything, and somehow, it just screamed of Levi's personality on paper. 

Since they were here to appreciate great views, he could see one himself, which definitely needed to be captured on paper. Levi started sketching quickly, the pencil working precise lines on paper. 

“I've never seen you wear a colourful item of clothing.” Eren pointed out after a short period of silence. “Are you allergic to colour or something?” 

“I'm allergic to your face.” Levi replied easily, looking up just as Eren turned to look at him with a pout. Levi rolled his eyes at the childish act. “If it makes you feel better, I'm wearing green boxers.” He added, a smirk pulling up at his lips. 

Eren ignored the second part of his answer. “You love my face.” He argued and Levi had no choice but to smile lightly in return. 

“Maybe I do, maybe I don't.” 

~~*~~*~~

“Now, don't you dare tell me that wasn't the best pizza you ever had.” Sasha groaned, her hand rubbing at her stomach as they walked out of the shop as a group. 

“Doesn't it lose taste when you eat so much of it?” Jean teased, watching Sasha from the corner of his eye. She shot him a dirty look and gave him the middle finger, making the rest of the group burst out laughing. 

“I have to hand it to Sasha. She knows her food.” Eren commented, his fingers running through his hair as he thought back to the taste. Food in itself didn't have much taste, but this pizza was definitely the best one he's had. 

“Just about as much as she knows her men.” Jean replied again, his voice mocking. “And the closest to a man she's ever been is... Well, it's certainly not Connie, so I'm not sure.” Jean's mouth pulled up in a grin and Eren rolled his eyes. Marco elbowed Jean in the ribs and was given a fake glare for it. 

“Speaking of that.” Marco joined in and Eren almost groaned. He knew that tone of voice, Marco was definitely up to something. “I mean, I've heard rumours that Mikasa has a crush.” 

Mikasa looked up and shot him a glare from the front of the group. Eren raised his eyebrows, clueless as always. “Shut up, Marco.” Mikasa murmured, shooting a quick glance at Eren before she turned away. 

“Is it that blonde? What's her name...” Jean joined in, receiving a pleased look from Marco. “Annie, is it?” Eren almost froze. Wait. Mikasa had a crush? On Annie? What?

“Well, Eren looks completely traumatized.” Connie pointed out with a laugh and Eren worked quickly to get rid of the shocked look from his face. “It's okay, buddy. It doesn't matter that they both have vaginas; it just works.” Connie hung an arm around Eren's shoulders and chuckled as others joined in. 

“Maybe you should tell him a bit more about how it works.” Sasha added to the teasing. 

“It's only fair Eren knows.” Jean commented with a shrug. “After all, he has his own big gay crush. Who's going to explain to him what goes where?” Jean sneered and Eren clenched his fists, about to turn around and punch the guy before a hand on his shoulder from Marco stopped him. 

“Leave him alone, Jean.” Marco spoke, his voice softening. “If he has a crush on that guy, let him.” Eren's eyebrows continued to stay furrowed in confusion. Were they talking about Levi? Of course they were, there was nobody else to talk about. But was he really even considering this? No. The others didn't know. They didn't know who Levi was and how impossible it was for them to be together. 

But a part of Eren was glad. Although they were teasing, the group was accepting enough and would never speak of anything if they were to not accept it. Somehow, it made Eren pleased that they would approve of him in a relationship with Levi. The one person who probably would not approve of Eren being in a relationship with Levi was, ironically, Levi. 

Then again, this group of people simply couldn't judge him. Nobody knew what was going on between Sasha and Connie; they acted either like best friends or a married couple. It could get weird at times. Marco was openly gay and everybody knew it, just like everybody could see how much in love with Jean he was. Jean on the other hand, was stupidly the only person who didn't see it or simply ignored it.

He didn't realize he slowed down until he found himself walking a bit behind his group of friends with Marco by his side, his hand still on his shoulder. “How would I know?” Eren asked, looking up at Marco's dark, golden eyes. This close, he could count the exact amount of freckles covering Marco's cheeks. 

“If you had a crush?” Marco asked just to make sure, to which Eren nodded. Marco sighed, “It's just like any other crush. If you feel something, then maybe it's there.” He told him. “Does he like you back?” 

Eren thought back to all the time he spent with Levi. With each meeting, he swore he saw Levi smile more and more; the genuine, lively smiles instead of the mocking smirks. “Maybe.” He replied. “Is there any way I could tell if he did?” 

Marco smiled sadly and looked ahead. “Not really.” He sighed. “Have you kissed him?” 

The question caught Eren off guard. “N-no.” He stuttered. _God, he might as well be a virgin, too._ He then frowned and looked down to the ground, shuffling his feet along the pavement. “It's a bit complicated.” 

“Yeah, those are the worst, aren't they?” Marco replied with a small smile on his face, his gaze capturing Jean. 

“Have you told him?” Eren asked in reply. As much as he didn't like the idea of horse face corrupting Marco's gentle personality, he had to admit that it was disappointing to see the amount of love in Marco's eyes go to waste.

Marco sighed. “No.” He whispered. “He's complicated. One moment we're closer than best friends and I feel like I could tell him and he would accept it, but then the next minute he's pushing me away and distancing himself from me. I don't know what to do.” He explained sadly. 

No matter how clueless Marco could be, Eren understood perfectly. Jean was a vampire; getting close to a human would be troubling. If the simple blood consumption doesn't freak you out, then there are other problems: like vampires having shorter tempers in a tragic mix with inhuman strength. Jean was simply trying to protect him, but Eren knew he wouldn't be able to tell that to Marco. 

“I don't think you should give up.” He told Marco honestly. 

Marco looked down at him with a small smile. “If I don't, then you shouldn't too.” He grinned, squeezing Eren's shoulder with his hand. 

This wasn't the same. Unlike Levi, there was no way in hell that Jean would kill Marco. With Levi, there was always that chance. 

~~*~~*~~

Levi crossed one of his legs over the other, his fingers tapping a rhythm into the leather of the couch he sat on. He leaned back and stared straight at Erwin, who sat at the giant desk filled with papers. He was currently writing furiously and not paying a single glance at Levi. Levi smirked; still pissed, then. 

“Envy doesn't suit your eyebrows, Erwin.” Levi finally spoke up. 

“Just shut up, Levi.” Erwin replied blankly, not taking his eyes off the papers. 

Levi's thin eyebrows raised and a grin split on his lips. How he loved winding up Erwin. “You want to tell me why you've been keeping me out of the loop?” Levi asked instead, looking down at his nails and inspecting them closely for any speck of dirt. “I mean, if you want some shitty amateur hunters to die, that's not my problem.” He added with a shrug, he knew seemed arrogant, but there was nothing more that bothered him than letting people's lives-which they willingly gave up- go to waste.

Erwin didn't reply and only the sound of the pen scribbling could be heard in the room. Levi's phone buzzed and he reached for it- a bit too quickly for his like- before opening the new message he got. 

_From: Shitty Brat_

_Oh god we're playin spin the bottle  
SAVE ME LEVI _

He let a smile light up his face, his eyes moving up to look at Erwin to check if he was watching. “You can't ignore me forever, you know.” He pointed out simply. “The fact is, I'm your best hunter and I'm too hot to just be ignored.” This earned him a small look from Erwin, but still no reply. His phone buzzed again. 

_From: Shitty Brat_

_I s2g if I have to kiss Armin again, I'm gonna jump out the window_

Levi cracked yet another grin as he typed a message back. 

_To: Shitty Brat_

_Didn't know you played both teams, brat ;)_

His phone buzzed again almost instantly. 

_From: Shitty Brat_

_There's a lot of things you don't know about me ;)_

This made an even bigger grin stretch on his lips. 

“That's what I'm talking about.” Erwin suddenly growled, his hand smashing on top of the desk with a loud enough thud even to make Levi jump slightly. “You're too unfocused! What is happening to you Levi?” Erwin stood, anger written clearly on his face. 

Levi stood up calmly, pushing his phone into his back pocket before he crossed his arms over his chest nonchalantly. “It's none of your fucking concern how I'm doing, Erwin. Your only task is to tell me who to kill.” He replied blankly, his eyes staying trained on Erwin's. He's known the man since he was 10 and Erwin was 13; there was little Erwin could do that would surprise him. 

“How can I send you out there, fully well knowing you're distracted by some kid? He'll get you killed!” Erwin's body tensed up with the thought and Levi sighed quietly. He knew exactly how this was going to go. 

“Is this really about that?” He questioned Erwin calmly, his eyes scanning over the papers that fell to the floor in the process of their conversation. “Or is this about the fact that some kid can hold my attention longer than you?” He spoke blankly, way too impatient to beat about the bush with the accusation. Once, he had thought that his relationship with Erwin had ended on a mutual note, but for the past few months Levi was understanding that the loss of feelings was not mutual and Erwin was not afraid to act on them. 

“Leave.” Erwin spoke simply and by hearing the defeated tone, Levi knew he won this battle. However, once he reached the doorway, Erwin's voice called out his name again. 

“What?” 

“Mark my words, Levi. You're going to get hurt because of that kid.” 

“Whatever.” 

~~*~~*~~

“I vote we play truth or dare.” Eren mumbled quickly, staring ahead at Jean with wide eyes. The bottle on the floor almost mocked him, still vibrating slightly as the tip pointed at Jean. 

“Seconded.” Jean added quickly, his eyes wide with horror. 

“Pussies.” Connie tried to masquerade the word with a cough, but they agreed to swap the game. 

“Eren, dare or dare?” 

“Where's the truth?” Eren replied simply. 

“You're the one who didn't manage to complete the last game, so you can pick dare from now on.” Sasha grinned at him and fist bumped Connie as they both stared at him expectantly. 

“Fine.” Eren rolled his eyes. 

Sasha huddled closer to Connie, whispering to him. In turn, he shook his head and whispered something back. Sasha frowned and her eyes roamed over the whole group before settling on Armin. He waved Armin over and they all watched as the blond crawled over just to have Connie whisper something in his ear. Armin nodded and they all looked over at Marco, waving him over next. 

“Is this a fucking game or a presidential election?” Eren rolled his eyes, his patience wearing thin as he quickly got annoyed with how everybody was looking at him now. 

Marco whispered something to Connie and then shook his head 'no' in answer to something Sasha whispered. “Okay.” Sasha finally sighed. “It's a long dare but if you do it, you're like the champion.” 

“Go on.” Eren muttered, rolling his eyes yet again. 

“I dare you to go to Levi's house right now and invite him to come hang out with all of us tomorrow night.” Connie spoke clearly. 

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” 

“Come on, Eren!” Marco encouraged. So he was in on it too. “I'll even drive you!” He offered. Of course he would, Marco hadn't drank a single drop of alcohol the whole night. He insisted he was the one that would be saving their asses if they got too drunk. 

“Can't I just text him?” Eren whined, waving at his phone. 

“It's not the same!” 

“And you never know what might happen when you get there.” Sasha giggled. “For all you know, Levi might just be coming out of the shower. He'll open the door and the steam will come streaming out, followed by his half-naked body. You'll stare at him and he'll stare at you back and before you know it your hands are everywhere and the towel is dropping and-” 

“Can you save the rest of that for writing your creepy fanfiction?” Jean interrupted her with a grumble. “At home.” He added in a hiss. 

Eren rolled his eyes. He doubted Levi would say yes to meeting his friends; even though he had already met some of them. 

Although he had yet to find out a lot about Levi, he could tell Levi was the kind of person who mostly kept to himself and only allowed certain people in. Strangely enough, Eren felt like one of those people. And that was bad. 

This was bad for so many reasons. 

This was bad because he shouldn't feel anything towards Levi. This was bad because they were destined enemies. This was bad because Levi didn't know exactly what Eren was. This was bad because... because he wished that it wasn't bad. 

~~*~~*~~

“You know, Ravioli, you never did tell me about the ghosts of your past relationships.” Hanji spoke, her voice irritably loud as Levi rolled his eyes and sat himself down at the table. His eyes watched each of Hanji's movements in the kitchen. “And quit watching me like an eagle! I won't make a mess!” 

“It's not a question of whether you will make a fucking mess.” He muttered, eyeing carefully the ingredients she threw into the pan. “It's a question of how much of a mess you'll make.” 

“Don't ignore my question.” She snapped and gave him a fake glare. 

“It wasn't structured in a questioning way.” He pointed out, raising his eyebrow as she threw garlic into the pan. 

“Let me rephrase: tell me what happened between you and Erwin.” 

“It's still not a question.” He commented. 

“Come on, Levi!” She whined, her foot stomping like a five year old throwing a tantrum. 

“There's not much to tell.” He shrugged lightly, his fingers tapping out a rhythm against the table. “I've lived with Erwin since I was 10. I was bound to get close to him at some point.” 

“Yeah, but I didn't think 'close' would entail nakedness in bed.” Hanji sneered and he flipped her off with his middle finger. 

“We gave it a go when I was sixteen. We hunted together, worked together, slept together; Erwin was a constant in my life and I didn't want it to change after what happened with my mom.” He explained. 

“Aw, Ravioli.” Hanji cooed and went in to hug him before he shoved her away lightly. 

“You're dirty.” He growled and rolled his eyes as she stuck her tongue out at him. “I thought everything was great, but then I met Petra.” 

“There's always a girl.” Hanji chuckled. 

“She wasn't just a girl.” Levi growled, clearly annoyed. “She quickly turned to be my best friend. She somehow made me fucking like her and she showed me how much I was missing out on life; all I knew before was Erwin and everything I've learnt from him.” Levi smiled lightly, remembering. “She encouraged me to try painting, and hell, I was fucking good at it.” 

Hanji remained quiet, instead choosing to stir the contents of the pot. Levi sighed, “I realized I was too dependent on Erwin. I was becoming needy and fucking obsessed. At this point, I was eighteen and Erwin was 21 and we already moved out of his parents' house. I told him that we should break it off.” 

“He didn't take it well. After I began studying at the university, he was almost done with his business and economics degree. We drifted apart slowly.”

“But, you're friends with Erwin now.” Hanji pointed out. 

Levi rolled his eyes yet again, “I'm not finished, shitty four eyes.” He mumbled, irritated. “But then after some time Erwin called me and said he was getting a team together. He was picking hunters and making sure there wouldn't be any vampires snooping around. I signed on because that's what I trained for my whole life.” Levi sighed then, looking down. “I don't think I regret breaking things off with Erwin. It made me more independent and the person that I am today. But he doesn't think so. Erwin doesn't give up when he wants something bad enough; he still hasn't given up.” 

“So is he jealous of Eren?” Hanji teased, a grin splitting her lips. 

“Why would he be?” Levi muttered, but didn't dare to catch her gaze. “Eren's a friend.” At the mention of Eren, something immediately popped into his head. He stood up from the table in a rush and headed for his room. 

“Sure he is.” He heard Hanji mumble just before he left. But he couldn't care less about her teasing right now. He remembered that Hanji said she left the documents he asked her to find on his desk and as he entered his room, he spotted the brown folder sitting atop his freshly-cleaned desk. 

He's had so much fun with Eren over the past week that he completely forgot about this and didn't even give it a second thought. Did he want to know? “Oi, four eyes!” He called out to Hanji. 

“What?” 

“Did you read through the shit I asked you to find?” He called to her. 

“No!” She yelled back from the kitchen. “I printed it off and didn't give it a second look. For one, I was too busy. And two- none of my business!” So now she found a time to find the difference between her business and none of her business: great. 

He sighed, his fingernails picking at the corner of the paper folder. He rolled his eyes and huffed before throwing the folder into the nearest bin. He didn't want to mess this up. 

~~*~~*~~

Unfortunately, Eren found himself standing under Levi's door not long after. He looked back at Marco's car, parked two houses down and spotted Marco giving him a grin and a thumbs up. 

He knocked once and knew that would be enough. The door opened and there stood Levi; his short posture dressed in a pair of dark sweatpants which hung dangerously low on his hips and a plain black shirt. Eren's mouth opened, but no words made their way out. 

“What is it, brat?” Levi drawled lazily, leaning on the door and crossing his arms over his chest in his usual demeanour. 

Eren couldn't control his brain. Sure, he was still slightly tipsy but alcohol didn't have much of an effect on him; then why was he so nervous all of a sudden? “My friends wanted me to invite you to hang out with us tomorrow night.” He finally spoke, his fingers running through his hair in frustration. 

“Your friends?” Levi repeated, a smirk teasing at his lips. Goddammit, how Eren wished he would stop. “Sounds like you don't want me there.” He pointed out. 

Eren frowned instantly,”Of course I do.” He muttered. 

Levi gave him a smile, then; such a genuine, lively smile that it instantly forced Eren to grin at him. “Then I'll be there.” Levi said simply. 

Eren nodded, feeling dismissed. He turned and looked at Marco's car. Marco. Eren's eyebrows furrowed; he couldn't be like Marco. He had to take a chance. 

Before Levi could close the door, Eren slammed his hand on it. He didn't waste time in fear he would back out at the last possible second. Instead, he closed the distance between him and Levi and pressed his lips to the raven's. The little monster called Desire awoke in his as soon as the warm lips touched his. He kissed Levi slowly but passionately while his hands itched to wrap around Levi's waist. 

Levi froze. 

Eren pulled back with a sigh, his teal-green eyes looking down at the smouldering grey which stared back at him in shock. He shook his head slightly and the apology hung ready at his lips. 

He was slammed against the door, his breath taken away from him through the impact. Then, Levi's lips were on his in a fury, lustful and passionate and his hands- God, his hands- gripped Eren's hips as his whole body moulded against him and pressed him further into the wood of the door. 

He could feel the rapid beat of Levi's heart, taste the faint cigarette smoke still in his mouth. He wound his hands into Levi's hair, as he'd wanted to do for a long time. Levi's hair curled around his fingers, silky and fine. His heart was hammering, and there was a rushing sound in Eren's ears, like beating wings; like the very same wings Levi bore on his back. 

Their lips moved together in timely motions, tongues touching and sliding: fierce, passionate, fervent. Unable to control his greedy lips, his restless hands, while, within, Eren's heart beat out the mortifying truth: he had a crush on Levi, big time; and Levi was definitely not protesting.

The kiss was still fervent, still desperate—but only because it was real. The most honest, truthful moment they’d shared. 

When Levi pulled away, his gleaming grey eyes watched Eren closely. Eren wasn't sure how to react, still pressed tightly against the door with Levi's body pressed tightly against him. So instead, his fingers moved on their own, running through Levi's hair and watching as the raven closed his eyes and hummed. “Don't say anything yet.” Eren whispered, his tongue sliding over his lips to moisten them. He was still coming to terms with what just happened. 

Instead of a sarcastic comeback, Levi simply leaned his forehead on Eren's shoulder and sighed. “You think this was a mistake, right?” He then whispered, his voice oddly soft. 

“No.” Eren whispered back, his head clear at least with that simple fact. “I just need to get my head around all of this.” He replied honestly. This was too much; a small part of him hoped that Levi would reject him or that the kiss would be horrible so that he would have an excuse to make a run for it. But of course, everything was exactly the opposite. 

Levi sighed again and nodded before pulling away. “Go home, Eren.” He sighed, taking a step back. “I'll see you tomorrow.” He told him, and Eren felt like that was a promise. 

Eren nodded and turned to the door, but then stopped. Just in case- he stepped towards Levi and his hand cupped the raven's cheek, his lips coming down for a short but sweet kiss. As he pulled away, Levi stared after him for a minute, a small smile playing on his lips. 

As he got into the car, Eren was immediately met with cheers and teasing from Marco who admitted he saw everything. Marco clapped him on the back and congratulated him; but silently, Eren was wondering whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the continuous support I get both here and on Tumblr! You guys are absolutely amazing and truly inspire me to write. I tend to rant in this part, but suck it up ;)  
> A lot of you are taking good guesses at the future plotlines and I have to say, I'm impressed. Although, as of yet, I haven't seen anybody guess as to what exactly will happen.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter because next chapter SHIT KICKS OFF.  
> Now, as you can see, you got a steamy first kiss. Cause, I mean, why the heck not. It didn't lead to stupid declarations of love, but possibly to more angst, so I'm happy to write that kind of kissing. Also, I'm not very good at writing kissing/sex/anything really. I'm also not sure which of them is more of a top anyway. Normally I'd go for Levi, but I mean, Eren is a _vampire!_ That must count for something! What do you think?  
>  And I'm starting to bring in the Marco x Jean ;) Cause they're my passive otp 4eva.  
> In addition, I absolutely love writing Hanji and Levi interacting. Oh, anybody else fascinated by Erwin/Levi?  
> Anyway, thank you for all the amazing messages on Tumblr (keep them coming!) and the amazing amount of kudos+ reads. I love you all! Next update will hopefully be on Sunday.  
> [ Tumblr ](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)  
> P.S- If there's anything you want me to see on tumblr, just tag it with #fic: own ending


	6. This Sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment of Mikasa/Annie.  
> Armin almost slips up, and then Eren actually slips up. 
> 
>  
> 
> Erm, I guess there's some violence? So... Warning?

“Really?” 

“That's what Marco said.” Mikasa replied simply, straightening the folders in her hands. 

“That's disgusting.” Annie commented while she leaned on the counter and stared at Mikasa. “What does he see in humans? They're weak and they live such short, meaningless lives.” She added while Mikasa put down the folders in the right order and sat down in front of the computer. 

Mikasa looked up at her momentarily, registering the appalled look on Annie's face. It was different to her usual blank gaze. “I was human once...” She whispered, her eyes boring into the blank computer screen. 

“But you're not.” Annie pointed out heatedly, her voice dropping to a whisper. 

“Besides, Levi isn't perfectly human...” Mikasa mentioned before she froze at what she just said. Was it acceptable to tell Annie about Levi being a hunter? Perhaps she should ask Eren...No. Her shoulders tensed at the thought; she didn't need Eren's permission to warn her friend of danger. “He's a hunter.” 

Annie's eyes widened for just a second before they narrowed into an observant scowl. While Mikasa always thought Annie wore an intimidating face, it was nowhere near as scary as the full-blown fury written in her expression. Despite Annie's calm and cool demeanour, Mikasa knew perfectly well that Annie was dedicated to things she put her mind to. “Then why is he still alive?” Annie asked, her voice considerably lower and she looked away from Mikasa, her fringe falling to cover a part of her face. 

“It's complicated.” Mikasa admitted and slowly stood up. “But it's Eren's choice. And I trust Eren.” She informed Annie as her shoulders tensed again, making her body take on a protective stance. 

“I have no reason to trust him.” Annie replied coldly. “Hunters are the monsters we run from. They're why so many of us die, even if we're weak or innocent. Hunters are the truly evil ones.” And unfortunately, Annie had a good point. Not all vampires were bad. 

“They think they're doing good.” Mikasa argued. She didn't want to side with the hunters, after all, she herself was destined to be running from them but she understood their reasons. “In relation to the number of good vampires, there are many more good people dying every day because of them.” 

Annie laughed then, a manic laugh, which Mikasa had never heard before. It was scary to a certain point and her eyebrows furrowed immediately. “You are saying that innately, all people are good, and if they were to just assume their nature, the organization of hunters wouldn't be so rotten, right?” She laughed again, a short laugh this time. “In my opinion, the structure of the organization, the way it is set up is what provides insight into what the true human nature is.” Of course Annie would think that; she didn't know what it was like to be human. 

“Just promise me one thing,” Mikasa spoke in turn, her face softening. “Don't try to attack. Eren knows what he's doing and he's using Levi to get an insight into how the organization works.” Mikasa explained. “Maybe we can bring them down from the inside.” 

Annie observed her silently for a minute. “Fine.” She replied, her voice back to the blank tone Mikasa was used to. “So you can't come tonight?” Annie asked instead, her eyes scanning over the people who just came through the door. 

“No. I promised Eren.” 

“Okay.” 

“But, tomorrow?” 

“Sure.” 

~~*~~*~~

“Has he said anything?” Armin finally asked before bringing the drink up to his lips and sucking at the contents through the straw. 

“Not really. Levi used to be much more of a teenage girl a few years back, but not so much now.” Hanji sighed before taking a sip of her own drink. 

“Are you joining us tonight?” Armin asked hopefully. He enjoyed Hanji's presence; she was very energetic and talkative, so with Hanji around there was never a quiet or awkward moment. 

Hanji smiled in return,”Yup.” She nodded and grinned at him. “I got the night off.” Hanji always used an excuse for work when he asked her to hang out with them. Now that Armin thought about it, killing vampires was probably her job. It was hard to seem oblivious when Eren told him all details perfectly. “Erwin is already too pissed to bother with being mad at me.” She shrugged. 

She kept saying Erwin was her boss, and after a discussion with Eren, Armin came to a conclusion that Erwin was the one in charge of a large part of the hunter organization. They were the commanders, responsible for large areas of the country and all the hunters in the borders of their zones. They gave out kill orders and hinted at vampire populated areas. Obviously, Erwin was important. 

He didn't ask why. He knew perfectly well Hanji wouldn't tell him. “Good.” He instead chose to say. “It should be fun having you there. Jean teases Eren enough, and you're the only one brave enough to tease Levi.” 

“Ah, yes, he's like an angry little gnome.” Hanji commented and laughed while Armin struggled to keep his own chuckles to himself. “He kept smiling since last night. It's overly creepy, if I say so myself.” Hanji shuddered slightly. “I'm not used to it.” 

Armin chucked, “Eren doesn't talk about it, but since he came back with Marco, all he's done is blush when Levi was mentioned.” He laughed. “I didn't even know it was possible since-” He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening as he bit his tongue. 

“Are you alright, Blondie?” Hanji stopped and stared at him. 

Armin almost buried his face in his hands. _I didn't even know it was possible to blush for him since he's technically dead._ He couldn't believe he was about to make a vampire joke. To Hanji of all people! 

“I'm fine.” He quickly stuttered and cleared his throat. “I'll see you tonight.” He told her quickly and walked away with a quick pace, his heart still beating frantically in his chest. 

~~*~~*~~

“So, I beg you, don't do anything that will give us away.” Eren spoke, his tone frustrated as he directed the comment at Jean, who rolled his eyes in reply. 

“I'm not stupid, Jaeger.” Jean replied blankly, his voice irritated with Eren's constant worrying. Thankfully, Annie wasn't coming, but Jean insisted that he had to be there because Marco expected him there while Mikasa would not leave Eren out of her sight: protective as always. 

“Don't flinch near silver, don't get drunk, don't even let them see a glimpse of your damn teeth and for the love of God, _do not start making vampire jokes!”_ Eren quickly listed off and Jean chuckled as he realized that he would definitely do the last one. Hunters or not, vampire jokes were always funny. 

“Whatever.” 

“And Mikasa.” Eren turned to look at Mikasa who rolled her eyes, fully knowing what was coming. “Same goes for you. I cannot stress how important this is, guys! You think I'm kidding, but Levi is not some amateur hunter!” Eren hissed, looking between both of them angrily. 

“But he's so tiny.” Jean pointed out. Eren rolled his eyes again, his patience with the horse face rapidly decreasing. “Relax, kid. We don't bite.” Jean commented while he looked over at Eren and flashed his fangs, chuckling as Eren clenched his fists and headed to hit him before Mikasa stopped him. 

Contrary to popular belief, vampire fangs were actually really sensitive. To be able to rip through skin, they were- of course- extremely sharp and lethal, but hit from a wrong angle with enough force, they were prone to breaking easily. As the fangs were hidden between their gums, only sliding out over their real teeth when needed, they didn't have as much support. Thankfully, the regenerative skill allowed fangs to grow back quickly, even if they were broken. But to also feel, the taste, texture and simple sweetness of fresh blood, they were extremely responsive. Sometimes, under the circumstances of utter hunger, they would act themselves at the mere smell of blood. 

Eren was glad Mikasa forced him into a drink right before they left. Besides, he wasn't worried about Jean biting. Hanji and Levi were a team, from what he heard, and they would surely not have a chance against the two hunters. Eren quietly cursed Armin for inviting Hanji. 

Armin walked first into their usual bar. They found Sasha and Connie already sitting down around a larger than usual table and Eren realized how many of them there actually would be. For once, he had friends and he was glad he could spend his Friday night with them. 

“Took you long enough!” Connie exclaimed as they claimed seats around the booth. “We thought we would have to face your weird friend and scary boyfriend alone.” 

“He's not my boyfriend.” Eren muttered in reply. No arguments came about Hanji being weird; as there should. 

“Not yet.” Spoke up Marco as he joined the group and sat down next to Jean with a grin. Jean laughed and hung his arm on the back of the booth, unconsciously, and very close to Marco's back. Eren raised an eyebrow at the movement.

“Let's get one thing straight.” Eren spoke, his voice low as he looked at all his friends. “Any of you say anything, you're dead.” Eren almost laughed at how he sounded. God, if they knew he was a vampire this threat would be so real that it would be almost funny. 

“Wow. Did we walk into the wrong party?” Eren looked up at the new voice, spotting Hanji and Levi walking over. Hanji in white jeans and a dark green shirt and Levi sporting his usual black attire; but the jeans were definitely tighter than Eren remembered. “You all look so happy.” Hanji pointed out as she sat down next to Jean and Eren flinched. _Oh god, this night could not end happily, for sure._

Levi, however, slid into the empty seat next to him, which Armin had so strategically left open. He gave him a small look and a corner of his lips rose in a greeting. 

“Eren was just telling us about his sex life. That's why we all seem so sad.” Jean explained, his head turning to look at Hanji. _Oh no, she would take one look at him and-_

“I like this guy!” Hanji exclaimed, pointing at Jean and leaning forward to grab a beer from the few bottles standing on the table top. “Anybody wanna comment on that? No?” Hanji looked at everybody in turn, her eyes stopping on Levi. “How about you, Ravioli?” 

Eren choked on his drink and needed a minute to regain his composure while Levi gave him a glare. “Fuck off, four eyes.” Levi grumbled before reaching forward and grabbing a bottle himself. 

“So, Levi,” Armin piped up while Sasha and Mikasa started their own conversation. “I heard you study art.” 

Levi nodded in answer, his lips wrapping around the bottle top as he took another gulp. Eren found his eyes trailing over at the sight of his moistened lips; dammit, he still didn't figure out where he stood with Levi, but that kiss yesterday was definitely something he could not ignore. 

“Your last year, right?” Jean added, receiving one more simple nod from Levi. “Man, that _sucks._ ” His eyes swapped to look at Eren and a grin split his lips. “I mean, then you have to get a job and everything, right? Not having to go to school is great, but at what _stake?_ ” Eren flinched, his eyes glaring into Jean as a warning. One more and he swore he would snap. 

“I already have a job lined up after graduation.” Hanji beamed, grinning. 

“Oh?” Armin seemed genuinely interested. “Already?”

“Yeah.” Hanji spoke. “I'll be helping out in biological research. Might even have my own project.” Her eyes glanced over to Levi for just a split second, but Eren saw it. He understood well now that this night was a bad idea. 

“Hey! Who wants to hear a joke?” Jean exclaimed, raising his beer bottle in a salute. 

“No.” Eren growled firmly, trying to find his leg under the table and kick it, but finding Marco's and receiving a confused look in return. 

“Gosh, Jaeger, you _suck the life_ out of all my jokes.” Jean whined, a playful grimace on his face but Eren saw the pure mischief in his eyes. That fucking horse face would die, he decided, and if Levi didn't kill him, then Eren would do it himself.

Strangely enough, after that, the tension eased away. Jean and Sasha bickered like they usually did, while Marco managed to actually get Levi to talk and Eren found out about how Levi has been learning taekwondo since he was ten and Marco commented that he himself tried but never had the discipline to actually continue. To that, Levi almost smiled and explained the basics. Marco made him promise to teach him some basics at some point; Levi agreed with ease. 

Hanji, however, quickly broke out into freshman year stories. Most of her stories involved Levi in one way or another, whether it was beating up a senior for a snarky comment or cleaning at 3am while he was half drunk. And dare he say it, Eren actually enjoyed himself. 

Later, Hanji forced him to take a picture of everybody with his camera (which he learned to carry everywhere now) and they huddled around one side of the booth while Eren snapped the picture. He laughed as he saw it: Marco watching Jean with a smile, Jean grinning crookedly, Armin barely visible between the taller people, Sasha making a face at Connie, Connie's hand ruffling Sasha's hair, Mikasa looking like she was smiling but her mouth covered by the red scarf, Hanji with a peace sign and a huge (if not slightly disturbing) grin and Levi, looking bored as ever. 

If anything was to ever destroy what they had here, he would have this picture. 

Before he could sit down, however, an overexcited Hanji bumped her hip against the table, making two bottles crash to the floor and spill their remains. They all just stopped for a second before Armin went to notify one of the staff members. While he was gone, Levi grumbled and began picking up the glass pieces himself, cursing to himself about the mess. Hanji rolled her eyes at his behavior; she was so used to it. 

Eren excused himself to go toilet, and while walking past the crouched down Levi, he realised that time was running out. He leaned down to his ear, “Meet me outside in two minutes.” He whispered, but didn't get a verbal reply, simply a nod. 

Once he finished, he walked out of the bar and took in a deep breath of fresh air. His mind was ever so slightly buzzed from the alcohol, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. It would be gone in a few minutes. 

The door opened and the smell hit him before he could even turn around. _Blood._

He looked over Levi with a frown, his gaze stopping at his hand before he grabbed it gently. Levi gave him a grimace,”That's what I get for playing with glass.” He muttered, a humorless chuckle escaping him. Eren gulped; they were both clearly nervous. And with the faint smell of Levi's blood in the air, he really wanted to worship Mikasa for making him feed beforehand. 

“I presume you made up your mind, brat.” Levi murmured, his eyes scanning over Eren's face carefully. 

But Eren ignored everything that was going on around them and focused on the task at hand. “I definitely did.” He murmured, and then he was pushing Levi up against the wall and his lips were slamming onto the raven's thin ones. 

Groaning, Levi grabbed his waist, pulling him closer so their bodies aligned and his fingers dug into Eren's sides. Eren dragged his tongue over Levi's bottom lip, making the raven shudder as his mouth opened and Eren was free to do what he wanted. If he wasn't busy he would have laughed; Levi giving in seemed unnatural. 

Eren's hands slid to Levi's lower back, he moved them lower and smiled into the kiss when his hands grasped Levi's ass and he pulled Eren closer. Eren's lashes fluttered closed with a throaty groan when Levi's hands gripped his hair, one hand gentle while the other pulled at the roots of his hair; Levi's breath hitched in reply. 

Eren rolled his hips forward, feeling the hot, burning heat gathering in the pit of his stomach. He bit down Levi's bottom lip and received a rather loud groan in reply. The sound made him pull his face away slightly, his lips leaving short kisses along Levi's jaw before they reached his ear. “Don't tell me you have a biting kink.” He murmured, a grin on his face. Ironic, Levi, truly ironic. 

In reply, Levi simply pulled his face to his own and his lips descended roughly on Eren's. Eren smiled into the kiss, making Levi huff and opened his eyes to observe the raven. Levi's cheeks were flushed, his eyes closed and god, his hair all messed up from being pressed against the wall. 

Eren let all his problems go. His hands followed up Levi's spine, feeling the muscles under his shirt shift. Levi's hold on Eren tightened, bruising and probably marking him for a short while before it healed and he would treasure those bruises; they told a story, they reminded him that this was real. 

He gasped as Levi's tongue took over his mouth, not holding anything back at this point. God, the captivating smell of Levi's cologne with the smell of fresh leather of his jacket and the faint smell of his blood still wafting through the air; Eren was fucked. This wasn't supposed to be so good. 

He realised his mistake after it was too late. 

With getting lost in Levi, his control slipped away from him quickly and he felt the familiar feeling of his fangs breaking tissues of skin and snapping down to full display. He pulled away at the same time they did and quickly turned away, trying to escape from Levi's smell, touch, presence and getting himself under control. 

“Eren?” The sheer confusion in Levi's voice.

He hoped he pulled away at the right time. He hoped Levi didn't notice. He didn't want this to be over. “I-I-,” He stuttered, not sure what he was supposed to say right now. He closed his eyes tightly, fighting the instinctual urge to push Levi against the wall and let his fangs rip into his throat. 

“I have to go.” Levi murmured finally and Eren heard him push away from the wall, the sound of his jacket as he rearranged it and then footsteps. He leaned his own forehead against the cold wall and let a sigh escape his lips. Now, he would have to go back inside and pretend like none of this happened. 

_What had he done?_

~~*~~*~~

He sat back down in the booth, forcing a smile at his friends as his eyes bore into the table top. Hanji questioned him about Levi, to which he shrugged and told her he left. There was an annoying burn at his ear and he brought his hand up nonchalantly. He almost hissed at the skin on the top of his ear which he knew perfectly well was now burnt. Inspecting his fingers, he saw blood and started wondering what happened. 

Levi wore a silver ring. When his fingers laced through Eren's hair, he was sure the ring must have come in contact with his skin. He almost groaned at the realization; what if Levi had seen that? 

But it was impossible for him to see it. If the explanation of Levi's height not allowing him to see it wasn't enough, Eren was facing him so there would be no way for Levi's eyes to spot the small injury.

He looked up at the sound of a phone going off. Hanji picked up her phone and looked at the most recent text; Eren's heart stopped. 

“I got an email from a professor. Apparently, he didn't get my essay and the deadline is tomorrow.” She spoke with a frown. “I have to go and send it to him. It was nice to meet you.” She grinned as she winked at Armin and was then scurrying out of the bar. Eren wasn't sure whether he believed her, and his heart began beating rapidly again. 

After a mere few minutes, Eren offered to go home under the excuse that he had an assignment to work on. He couldn't use the excuse of having a class since tomorrow was Saturday. The others agreed with it being late and they left the bar.

He, Armin, Mikasa, Marco and Jean walked together. Sasha and Connie had insisted on going a different way since they wanted to go for a late shopping; Eren learned that they shared a flat not far from the university. 

“Your boyfriend isn't very sharp.” Jean commented, his voice slightly slurred. Eren rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth; he was a hundred percent sure getting drunk was on a list he provided of things not to do. “I dropped so many great jokes!” 

“I swear to God, horse face, you say one more thing and I will punch you.” Eren almost growled. He didn't need Jean to deal with right now; so many things happened in one night. He picked up his phone, sending out a quick message of 'r u ok?' to Levi. 

“I think he's great.” Marco commented, instead. “Sure, he's not the most talkative person, but he seems really nice under the crude language.” Marco chuckled, joined by an agreement from Armin. Of course, Marco did always tend to see the good in people. 

Eren sighed, ignoring their quiet conversation as he bent down to tie his shoe. A shuffling sound caught his ear and he turned his head slightly, straining his ears to listen closely. 

_Footsteps._

He waited for a second and counted. Three pairs. And they weren't far. 

He got up and caught up with his friends. Still ignoring their conversation, he instead chose to focus entirely on the footsteps. He was probably over exaggerating; after all, it was a Friday night and people would be out partying. But he didn't hear voices. 

How he wished he was wrong. 

“Mikasa.” He whispered, instead. 

“I know.” She replied quietly. Of course, she was always ahead of him when it came to skill. 

“Jean.” Eren hissed and caught Jean's gaze. “You and Marco get out of here.” He added, his voice taking on a commanding tone. 

Jean's eyebrows furrowed but he turned to look at Mikasa and then nodded. He suddenly seemed fully sober. He whispered something in Marco's ear and received a quick nod. “Well, we're off then.” Jean spoke, his voice louder than necessary. 

“See you guys!” Marco chirped and with Jean's arm around his shoulders, they took a left while Eren directed Mikasa and Armin to the right. 

“You should have left with them.” He hissed to Armin, who shook his head with disbelief. Of course, Armin was too loyal to leave them. 

Eren realised the alley they were heading was the place where everything would happen, if their senses were right. “What happened when you went outside with Levi?” Mikas suddenly hissed from his right. 

“Nothing good.” Eren sighed back. 

He came to a stop as the footsteps got louder. The shadows across the wall stretched as three figures came into sight at the other end of the alley. They would either have to turn back or meet them straight on. 

Eren clenched his fists, fighting his natural response to attack and instead chose to act rationally for once. The three figures began walking forwards, and with Eren's perfect sight at night, it wasn't hard to recognize the leather jacket. Or see the street lamp reflecting the silver of a stake stashed in the belt of a figure behind Levi. 

“Let me explain.” Eren pleaded while there was still a considerable amount of distance between them. 

Next to him, he saw Mikasa tense and crouch slightly, nails lengthening into claws: ready. He ignored his own fangs trying to take over his control and pushed his desires back. The three figures stopped, and Eren saw the clear frown on Hanji's face. The other figure, he did not know, but the man had blond hair with a middle parting, a ponytail folded at the back. He looked older than both of the others. 

“Mikasa, don't.” Eren hissed and instead, chose to take a step forward by himself. In turn, Levi took a step forward while the other two figures stayed back. “Let me explain everything.” Eren pleaded again, his eyes scanning the silver-tipped stake at Levi's belt. 

He should have seen the punch coming. 

The punch landed square in his jaw. Then, everything clashed into the next five seconds: Armin yelling his name in the distance, Mikasa's hiss as her fans dropped and she attacked, Hanji yelling for Levi and the punch after punch as Eren collapsed to the ground. 

Fighting back would be no use. 

_Guess he would suffer the same fate his parents did._

“I don't know what you thought was going to happen, brat.” Levi's voice was cold and sharp, and so clear between the chaos happening. The light reflects off the silver, but Eren only saw shades of red and black. Another hit. Mikasa hissing. Armin yelling. Hanji screaming. 

But none of them could help. Mikasa was restrained by the older hunter. Hanji was keeping Armin at bay, screaming that here is nothing he can do, but then contrasting her words with her pleading screams for Levi to stop. 

But he doesn't. And Eren understands. If there is one thing worse than death, that's betrayal. There is no way to excuse or even forgive his actions.

_Eren betrayed him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really like the way the end of this chapter came out. But I'm gonna have to get over it.  
> So, yeah. Not the most creative way for the secret to come out, but it's out! I didn't want to do the whole cliche 'Eren protects Levi' thing, you get me?  
> So... Annie's pretty pissed, right? Just giving you an insight into how the other vampires feel about hunters, I guess.  
> And the Armin thing, I dunno, I just wanted to have an Armin/Hanji brotp moment. And I find it hilarious how they would gossip about Levi/Eren.  
> OH WHO LIKES ALL THE VAMPIRE PUNS ME MORE TO COME  
> Thoughts on Jean/Marco? Thoughts on Mikasa?  
> And oh yeah, you got another make out scene cause I'm insatiable. ;) And there's a further explanation to everything in the next chapter so if you're wondering exactly why Levi reacted that way, there's going to be everything.  
> Another thing. Thank you for all the amazing messages/reblogs/likes on [ Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/). And the comments here! You're wrong if you think they don't matter! For example, initially, Armin was planned to not be here at the scene, but a comment made me change it and actually give him a role to play in the next chapter.  
> And I absolutely love answering them!  
> Ugh, do you know how hard it is to find cool vampire!eren ereri fanart? Like, I dunno. It's an obsession. Anybody artistic feel like drawing something for this story? ;)  
> Thank you all for the love :) Next chapter will probably be up Tuesday/Wednesday. I'm not sure how long it will take. Oh! And it will involve a lot of lines from the actual manga :D I love doing that; that's what I did with Annie here.  
> Thanks again for reading!


	7. Death Valley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is a BAMF.   
> Armin is responsible.  
> Levi has feelings. (SURPRISE SURPRISE)

He kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Every time he came about, he felt the sharp sting of silver tightly gripping his wrists. Even with his high tolerance, the pain was too much. The metal was digging dangerously close to breaking the skin; it felt as if he got shot with a silver bullet, which -from past experience- was probably the most painful thing to happen to him. 

He heard voices. This time, he was more motivated to try and keep consciousness. He had to know why he wasn't dead already. 

He lay half sprawled on the floor, his wrists tightly bound behind his back; a metal bar between his body and his wrists, which, he suspected, was also silver prevented him from moving his arms too much. He was on his knees, his head hanging weakly from the constant strain of blocking out the pain. 

He wouldn't give them the chance to interrogate him. “Why am I not dead?” He asked, coughing as he realized how hoarse and croaky his voice was. Now that he focused, he started seeing more damage. There was a wound in his shoulder; he was sure it was done with something involving silver. There was a trail of blood slowly running down the side of his face and the aching burn in his throat was too much; he retched with pain. 

He looked up then. He was in a relatively large room. His side was empty, but on the opposite side of the room stood a few tables with a few boxes lying around. He guessed it was some sort of a warehouse where the hunters could do their business and nobody would become suspicious. His face felt bruised; he must have taken quite a few hits to pass out. 

The door opened and yet another person walked in. Eren's eyes narrowed, making out the other figures. Hanji sat on a table, her hands by her hips and her legs swinging in the air. Levi stood, leaned on the table next to her, his arms crossed and expression blank as ever. By the wall, he spotted another figure; a taller, broader man he immediately recognized from the few times he's seen him before: Erwin. 

This was bad. 

A little further away, sat yet another figure. A man Eren had never seen before. He had short, black hair cut shorter on the sides and back. He, ironically, reminded Eren of Jean. He silently wondered if Jean and Marco managed to get away. And where was Mikasa? Armin?

The person who just walked through the door was the hunter they encountered in the alley, together with Levi and Hanji. 

“She's not talking.” The hunter told the group. “But she's a strong one.” He glanced over at Eren for just a second before he turned to Erwin again. 

Erwin nodded, keeping his eyes on Eren. Levi did the same. Hanji, however, whistled to herself quietly and looked around the room.”Hanji, I don't understand the exact reason we're in this position.” Erwin spoke up, finally. “He's a vampire; he should be dead.” 

“No, Erwin, you don't understand!” Hanji was quick to deflect the put down and reached behind her, picking up a folder. “You've read this right?” Erwin nodded simply. “Then you saw his file. You know we need him.” 

“Is it worth it?” Erwin asked honestly, his eyes swapping over to look at Levi. The raven, however, did not answer at all. His eyes stayed trained on Eren. 

“Sir,” The hunter from before spoke up again. 

“What is it, Erd?” 

“The kid from before.” Erd started uncomfortably. “He's not a vampire, so we don't actually have the permission to keep him on the premises.” He scratched the back on his neck awkwardly. “He keeps saying he can help explain.” 

“His view will clearly be biased.” Spoke the man with black hair, turning sharply to look at Erwin. 

“I think we're being slightly rude.” Hanji interjected, nodding towards Eren. “Unfortunately, you know Erd, Eren. This is Commander Nile Dok. He's a commander of the east border.” Hanji pointed out, smiling slightly. How could she smile at a situation like this?

“I'm not sure what you want to do here, Hanji.” Erwin told her, his eyes returning to Eren. “Surely, you've grown too close to the kid to actually experiment on him.” Eren's heart stopped. 

“That's not why I'm vouching for him.” She replied to Erwin, her voice determined. “I'm vouching because of what's in this folder.” She put the folder down on the table with a large thud. “I'm sure myself and Levi can agree that there are no personal feelings involved in this choice.” Eren looked at Levi then. 

Levi had not said a word the whole time. 

“I vouch for killing him.” Nile Dok spoke up, his voice authoritative. He was the same rank as Erwin; this clearly meant he had power. “He is a vampire: a monster. He is, after all, what we kill. You cannot predict his behavior.” The man hissed. “Killing both him and the girl is two less threats to the world.” Mikasa!

“You talk a lot, pig.” Silence erupted around the room after Levi's harsh words. Could he refer to a higher up like this? Hanji elbowed Levi slightly, but the raven kept his eyes on Eren and continued. “You don't wish to protect innocent people, you wish to protect yourself. People who die every day don't even figure into the thoughts of you pigs. I doubt you've even seen a vampire, let alone killed one before.” Levi's words were harsh, but nobody stopped him. His voice blank and detached as always. 

Perhaps Levi didn't want him dead, Eren quickly figured. Firstly, he could have killed Eren in that alley. Then, as supported by Hanji, he didn't need to vouch for his survival. 

A familiar smell hit Eren. His throat worked again, clenching at the smell of familiar blood. He felt sick; he could feel his fangs starting to pierce the muscle even though the smell terrified him and he wanted to be as far from it as possible. Mikasa's blood. “What did you do with Mikasa?” He growled, just barely holding his fangs from snapping down. All eyes turned to him. But nobody spoke. 

“Where is she?” He yelled as he received no reply. “I might be a monster, but Mikasa has nothing to do with this! Nothing at all! She didn't want this!” He yelled again, the frustration getting to him as he pulled forward. The handcuffs clanged loudly against the metal bar; Nile Dok flinched and took a step back while the other hunters didn't move a muscle. 

“If you're covering for her, it must mean she knows more than she lets on.” Nile pointed out. 

“No!” The metal ground against metal again and Eren flinched. His voice quieted then, “You're simply coming up with theories which fit whatever it suits you to think. You're clearly a coward.” He needed to shut up. He needed to shut up before he got himself killed. Mikasa would never forgive him for that. God, she'd find him and kill him all over again if it were possible. But no. He needed to make this clear. “Mikasa never hurt a person!” He exclaimed again. “So if you want somebody to blame, blame me!” His fangs snapped down, coming into full display. “You don't know anything! You think that all vampires are evil simply because of what we need to survive! If you even bothered, you would know the truth! But you're clearly too scared! So either finish with this bullshit and kill me or try to fucking understand that we're not the bad guys here!” His yell left the room in silence. 

He didn't expect the hit to come.

The kick landed right where it aimed, and Eren felt the agonizing pain of one of his fangs being ripped out of the muscle surrounding it. He didn't get to watch where the deadly tooth fell because then, Levi's hand was at the back of his head, his fingers gripping his hair tightly as he pulled Eren forward. A hit to the stomach made him kneel down further, easier to strike. The silver dug into his wrists harshly. A knee hit him right in the face. 

Eren felt the blood trickling out of his nose, over his mouth and down his chin. It tasted bitter to him. Levi's foot pushed his head down, holding his face flat against the ground. “This is just my personal opinion, but when it comes to teaching somebody discipline,” He spoke, his voice detached and cold, face emotionless and eyes boring into the brunet lying helplessly on the floor, “Pain is the most effective way.” Levi directed him then,”What you need, is to be trained like a dog, not a man.” Another kick. Another hit.

“Wait, Levi!” Nile's voice sounded terrified, shaking and wavering. 

Levi paused, “What is it?” His voice sounded uninterested. 

“That's dangerous...” Nile pointed out quietly. “What if he manages to break free?” 

Levi's fingers grabbed his hair again and pulled his face up. Levi lowered his own face, his intimidating grey eyes staring down Eren's own teal-green. “If he is an enemy, his intelligence makes him a formidable foe.” He pointed out. “Still no match for me, of course.” And Eren saw it. There was a sparkle in Levi's eyes, a sparkle that Eren had seen before. “What about you?” Levi addressed Nile, but didn't turn away, his eyes boring into Eren's face. They fell on his bruised skin, blood trickling down and the lifeless eyes; Levi's eyes darkened for a second before they returned to normal. “Do you really think you can kill him?” 

“If I'm to agree and let him go, can you guarantee to control him?” Erwin's voice pierced the harsh sounds of Eren's breathing. God, so up close he could almost smell Levi's blood. 

“I'm certain I can kill him.” Levi replied simply, letting go of Eren's hair and letting his head hang limply from his shoulders. “The only problem is, I doubt I can do any less.” Because Eren betrayed him. He had faked developing feelings for him, and then betrayed him. No. Eren frowned, he never faked anything. 

“Very well.” Erwin spoke up. “I will speak with you later.” He gave Levi a meaningful look and then turned to Erd and Nile. “Erd, take care of the girl. Make sure she doesn't hurt herself. Let the kid in. I think it's time we have a talk.” 

Eren watched Levi's face contort to the usual blankness again and he wondered...

_Was that an act?_

~~*~~*~~

Armin sat on the comfortable chair, his knee bouncing up and down while his palms became sweatier with each second. He had to do something or both Eren and Mikasa would die. 

But he was useless. He had no authority. What could his explanation help? They would either think he was brainwashed or trying to protect two murderers who were coincidentally, his friends. The door behind him opened and he stood up, startled, his posture straightening as he saw the tall, blond man approach. 

“Commander Erwin.” He spoke; he heard the other hunters addressing the man this way. 

“Armin, is it?” Friendlily, Erwin extended his hand and Armin quickly wiped his own on his jeans before shaking Erwin's. “Hanji tells me you're a genius.” He laughed half-heartedly and took a seat on the other side of the massive, mahogany desk. “What can I help you with?”

“I want you to release my friends.” He knew it was a foolish request, but Armin decided to come out and say it. There was no time to beat around the bush; who knew what they were doing to Eren and Mikasa. 

“They're vampires, Armin.” Erwin stated, his voice firm. “It is our job to get rid of vampires.”

“Your job is to get rid of vampires who are a threat to humanity; Eren and Mikasa are not.” He tried to debate quickly. “They have never killed a person.” He added quickly. “I swear on my life, that's true.” 

“Armin, how long have you known them?” Erwin asked, his clever eyes staying on Armin. 

“Since we were kids.” Armin replied neutrally. “I know what they're capable of.” He wanted to add more; he wanted to keep talking until he was blue in the face, but from getting one look at Commander Erwin, Armin knew he was not the kind of person who would respect that. So he continued to stay polite. 

“And your home town: Shiganshina, is it?” Erwin spoke again, his eyes skimming over a folder which was now in his hands. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Your loyalty is very impressive, Armin, but we have come to our decision.” Erwin stated, and Armin's heart almost stopped. But at the moment, he knew interrupting Erwin would not be a good idea. “We won't kill Eren. Hanji cleverly pointed out that the boy is a significant figure in a mission we will certainly undertake.” Erwin paused for a second. “And I have a feeling you might be of help.” 

“Anything.” Armin replied instantly. “Anything that gets both of them alive.” Clearly, he did not miss the part where Erwin didn't mention what they would do with Mikasa. 

“Levi is in charge of Eren. Eren steps out of line: he's dead. In two weeks, they're leaving town and will be followed closely by Hanji. The mission is confidential.” Erwin explained, his arms crossing and leaning on the desk. “You, on the other hand, will stay here and help my researchers. It is clear you have been around vampires for a long time; you might be of help to them. If you do, Mikasa stays alive.” 

“Where are they going?” That sounded like a reasonable proposal, but he couldn't understand why Eren would be going with Levi. If Levi only wanted to get him out of town so he could kill him, Armin would not stand for it. 

Erwin smiled tightly, “It's confidential.” He repeated. “Don't worry; I assure you, nothing will happen to Eren if he follows the instructions given.” Armin frowned; following instructions was not Eren's particular strength. 

“And you're just going to let them go for now?” 

“Yes.” Erwin replied simply. “Of course, our hunters will be keeping track of all of you. There is no point in trying to run away.” 

“Of course.” Armin nodded along. 

Erwin gave him a smile then and stood up, his hand extending again. Armin didn't waste time to shake it again. “It was very nice to meet you, Armin. I have a feeling I'll be seeing a lot more of you in due time.” 

~~*~~*~~

“I'm a scientist, and even I can't watch this.” Hanji murmured, and turned away, facing away from Eren's limp body and choosing to look blankly at the wall. 

Eren's wrists were still bound behind him and his back ached from the constant position. In return, the blood around his mouth had dried and he felt the wound on his shoulder healing painfully; but at least it was healing. His breath had come heavy, his throat burning and tears gathering in his eyes at the constant smell of blood in the air. He heaved again, his breath quivering; it was becoming too hard to control. 

So he lashed out. His fangs snapped down painfully, his eyes becoming feral and he fought and struggled to free himself. Hanji looked away again as he just hurt himself more in the process. “Levi, he's going to die.” Hanji murmured. “He's lost too much blood. How can he heal without any of his own? It's basic biology, Levi.” She hissed, leaning closer to the raven. 

Levi was as impassive as before, his arms crossed over his chest and staring ahead at Eren. “I know, you fucking four eyes.” He growled back, irritated. 

“You could have left it alone! But you just had to go and impress Erwin through being a good little soldier!” Hanji hissed again. “Nobody begged you to beat him up.” Then, she paused, clearly thinking hard about something. “Why did you?” 

“To show Erwin that I can get the fucking job done.” He replied simply, his eyes not leaving Eren and narrowing slightly as the vampire stopped struggling again and let his head hang limply. 

“Erwin knows you can get the job done.” Hanji replied, her voice not teasing for once. “Why did you do it, Levi?” 

Eren struggled again, an animalistic growl leaving his mouth as metal hit metal and sounded through the room. Hanji looked over him; he didn't look like Eren right now. He was almost completely gone. They had been here for a day; she knew well that a day was not much for a vampire to go without drinking, but she suspected that with the constant blood loss and the fact that Eren didn't look like he had been feeding often anyway: he would not last. He was quickly turning to his only instinct of feeding; no consciousness, no feelings, no guilt. 

“I had to persuade Erwin that my feelings for Eren would not cloud my judgement.” Levi admitted, just a hint of emotion behind his voice then. Hanji's eyes widened and she looked towards Eren; of course Levi felt fine saying it out loud, the vampire could hardly perceive what was happening in his state. 

“This is enough!” Hanji finally exclaimed, and pushed up her glasses into the right position. “I'm going to get him some blood.” She decided and before Levi could say another word- not that he was planning to, anyway- she was out the door, slamming it closed behind her. 

Levi looked back towards the snarling vampire and took a few steps forward. Even though instinct was taking over, Eren's struggling paused and he shrunk slightly, remembering clearly who it was that got him into all of this. His fangs, however, remained on display in a warning snarl. 

Levi crouched down, his eyes level with Eren's. The vampire stared back at him, his eyes the same teal-green as always; but Levi didn't like them right now, they seemed lifeless and dull. 

He sighed, “I'm sorry, Eren.” The apology hung heavily on his lips. He didn't apologize to just anybody. “Just hang on.” 

He knew Eren wouldn't remember any of this once he became sane again; but just getting it out made Levi feel slightly better and allowed his expression to become blank again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was a bit messy. I understand that the first bit wasn't too interesting to read since it's basically the court scene replayed but I just can't miss an opportunity to put in badass Levi cause hot damn.   
> Chapter title based on Fall Out Boy song.  
> So I know not that much happened in this chapter, but all will be explained in due time. I planned originally for this story to be around 20 chapters long, but it will probably be closer to 30.   
> I've been kind of forcing myself to write because with school now, and exams getting closer, I really don't have much free time. So I'll try to continue updating like I did, and if anything, you can reach me on [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/) and track the tag #fic: own ending to get updates.   
> Jeanmarco coming up next chapter. WHO LIKES BAMF LEVI?!?! MEEEEEE!   
> Thank you guys for all the amazing support: the comments, the kudos, the followers, the messages: all of it! Thank you!   
> I've been thinking really hard about this story's ending. And I can't decide. And unfortunately, I'm slowly leaning into a more than unhappy ending... Oops, might have to change the tags.   
> Iffffff YOU THINK NILE DOK IS A LITTLE BITCH AND YOU KNOW IT CLAP YOUR HANDS  
> Next update: gonna try for Thursday, but probably Friday.  
> Thanks for reading!


	8. 'Jaeger'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren finds out the story about his father and his journal.  
> Marco gets involved.

“Eren.” He woke up at the voice he knew so well, but didn't open his eyes. Honestly, he didn't want to look at Levi right now. “I know you're fucking awake. Now do you want to go home or not?” His eyes snapped open at the proposition and he looked up, spotting Levi still by the door; he must have just walked into the room. There were shadows under his eyes, which were more prominent than usual and implied that he either just woke up or hardly slept at all. 

“Your cruel jokes are the last thing I need, Levi.” He sneered in reply and watched as Levi visibly froze at the direct address. The door banged open and Hanji skipped in grinning. 

“The sun is down and we are up!” She exclaimed, fist pumping the air. “So, I spoke with Erwin right now,” She started and went to get a chair before she pushed it closer to Eren than she sat last time. “And we got the plan sorted.” She finished and smiled warmly at him. 

“You can go.” Levi simply stated, rolling his eyes at Hanji in the process. She always did waste time with building up tension. “But under a few conditions.” 

“That's right!” Exclaimed Hanji with yet another grin. She waved the folder in her hand. “This is your folder.” She informed him. Eren nodded in return, trying to stretch his back and hissing at the silver on his skin again. He got used to the constant, throbbing pain. “You and Mikasa are free to go. Mikasa will be coming back rather often to assist Armin with research and experiments.” Eren's eyes widened instantly. 

“Don't worry!” Hanji quickly assured. “Nothing will happen. I'll be there.” 

“That's even more worrying.” Levi murmured while Hanji shot him a glare. “You're fucking insane.” He stated simply, staring right back at her. 

She huffed and rolled her eyes before turning back to Eren. “You, however, are free for the next two weeks. Then, you and Levi will go on a mission specially set to you by Erwin. I'll be joining you later on after I make sure Armin is on the right track.” She explained further and Eren struggled against the cuffs. 

“No way!” He yelled. “I'm not stupid.” He growled and looked towards Levi. “You're getting me out to town to kill me.” 

“If we wanted you dead, you would be.” Levi replied coldly. “Fucking get over yourself.” 

“Boys!” Hanji interrupted in a singing voice and clasped her hands over the chair again. 

“What is the mission about?” Eren asked instead, going along with the idiotic plan and at least trying to find out more about everything that was happening. He definitely did not trust them; they gave him no reason to. _I'm sorry, Eren._ He frowned at the echoing in his head and gritted his teeth to focus through the voice and pain before he went insane.

“We need to find something.” Hanji spoke, her voice turning serious. “Your father's journal.” 

“What does my father have to do with any of this?” Eren spoke firmly, not liking the fact that only the mention of his father was starting to bring back unpleasant flashbacks and feelings. “And how do you know about his journal?” Eren growled then. His father's journal was his most prized possession. As a doctor, he wrote down any kind of research he ever found in it and silently, Eren was sure it kept many secrets. Not that he would want hunters to know them. 

Hanji smiled lightly at him, “Maybe we should start at the beginning.” 

~~*~~*~~

“Hey, have you heard from Eren or Armin?” Marco spoke up, his voice curious as his eyebrows furrowed while he looked down at his phone. Jean looked up and smiled lightly; the expression made Marco's freckles stand out more. “Or even Mikasa?” Marco added with a frown. 

“Nope.” Jean replied simply to all of them. Now that he thought about it, he would have expected to have heard at least from Armin; the boy was slightly obsessed with him at times. He long gave up trying to get Mikasa to socialize more. Damn, he even expected Eren to call him whining about his behavior the other night.

The other night. 

Realisation hit him and he quickly pulled out his own phone. He dialed the first number of the three, listening to the voice mail start straight away. He didn't leave a message. He dialed one more number just to be sure: same outcome. “Fuck.” He cursed, stuffing his phone back in his pocket and looking up at Marco. His gaze met Marco's with a frown. 

“What is it?” 

Jean shook his head in dismissal. This was definitely not something he wanted to get Marco involved in. “I'm sure they're fine.” He tried to dismiss, but silently, he knew better. And he needed to get out of here to find out some more information. He stood up slowly, his fists clenching and he gave Marco a tight smile. “I need to go. I'll see you later tonight?” 

Marco's frown didn't leave his face. “You know something.” 

“Don't you think I would have told you?” He knew Marco was definitely gullible; turning the tables worked like a charm with the overly nice man. 

“No.” Marco told him in return, sighing then. “You're keeping things from me. I'm not stupid, Jean. I know you.” 

The words hit a bit too close to home. “You don't know me.” He whispered in reply. Because the truth was, Marco didn't. He didn't know about the other half of Jean's very relevant life. But still, out of everybody, Marco did know the real him the most. Jean wasn't stupid; he could see the clear adoration in Marco's eyes when he looked at the other, but he knew that would never be possible, even if he unconsciously returned Marco's feelings.

“There's something going on.” Marco spoke up, determination clear in his voice. “And I'm going to find out what it is.” 

~~*~~*~~

“The year was 815, in a small village of Trost! It was a sunny day with perhaps a few clouds circling nearby... The very same clouds which symbolized doom!” 

Levi rolled his eyes and snatched the folder out of Hanji's hand. “I'll tell the fucking story. You just shut up.” He then looked up at Eren. “I don't know how much of your family history you know, so we'll start at the beginning and work from there.” Levi took a quick glance down at the folder and rolled his eyes when he looked up. “Hanji, what are you doing now?” 

In the meantime, Hanji had come closer to Eren, observing him closely through her thick glasses. There was a sparkle of excitement in her eyes as she stared him down. “How old are you, Eren?” She whispered dramatically. 

Even through the circumstances, Eren managed to shoot a bewildered look to Levi, who closed his eyes and sighed; he clearly had enough of Hanji's behavior for one day-or however long it was- and agreed with Eren on that one.”Hanji, he's the age he says he is. He wouldn't be able to alternate his looks unless he turned 21.” 

“No!” Hanji exclaimed quickly, poking at Eren's cheek. “What if he already turned 21 and changed to look like a 20-year-old version of himself?” Levi didn't answer but his eyes focused on Eren. “I mean, how funny would it be if you made out with a 500-year-old vamp-ah!” Levi had stomped over to Hanji, clearly irritated and flustered at the mention of that event, and pulled her back to her seat. He gave her a glare and she sighed in exasperation, but still sat in place. 

Eren didn't answer. His thoughts came replaying about what Hanji said. It seemed they clearly knew a lot about vampires already. 

“Now,” Levi started again, having leaned to his usual spot. “Grisha Jaeger was born in 815, in Trost. He became a doctor, but around 837 he understood that humans weren't the only beings in the world. So he worked to stop that.” Levi told him. “In 839, he started world's first ever hunter organization. At the time, it was called the 'Jaeger' Operation. 'Jaeger' translates to 'hunter'. That's why we're called the hunters, not the slayers or the killers or some other crap.” 

Eren shook his head. These were lies. His father couldn't have been a hunter. 

“The organization quickly grew. They trained new recruits at young ages and by the time the kids were 15, they were ready to fight vampires. The vampires understood what kind of a danger this was to them and planned to attack back. In 845, your father was attacked by a group of vampires, but they decided that instead of killing him, they would turn him into the very thing he hated. They turned him into a vampire.” 

“But that wasn't enough to fill their thirst for blood. They went after your fathers' family next. Killed all living relatives and blew up his house; his wife- your mom- got trapped under the rubble and was quickly dying. Your father made the decision to turn her then, or she would die.”

“But he didn't stop working with the organization. Of course, he took a step back, but he continued to supply them with everything that vampires hated or were vulnerable to. Back in those days, nobody knew vampires were allergic to silver; your father found out about it and supplied the information to the hunters. He considered himself more human than vampire.”

“But, there were certain members of the organization who didn't like the fact they were working with a vampire. They found it unnatural. As your father's life became endangered, he ran together with your mom and left the organization behind. There were hunters after him, as well as vampires who felt he betrayed their race. They ran for hundreds of years, all around the world. It's a known fact he must have found out more about vampires in that time. But he didn't keep in contact with the organization, so they had no way of knowing more about vampires.”

“Now, I don't know how much you know about vampire biology, but it's hard for vampires to conceive. Once your parents settled down and stopped running, your mother became pregnant with you. What was surprising, was that you were born a vampire, while your parents were both turned.” Levi sneered then, “Aren't you a special little shit?” 

“We skip forward to 2008. You're 15, your parents are dead.” Eren growled and struggled at the blunt tone. “You should know, hunters take care not to leave a mess when they kill.” Eren's mind flashed quickly to Levi killing those two vampires. “When the hunters got to your parents, they were already dead. All they found of evidence was a few letters; all addressed to you.” Levi picked up the folder and took out a few pages before slamming them down on the table. “Your parents weren't killed by hunters, Eren. They were killed by vampires.” 

Everything was a lie. 

His breath was knocked out of him. His chest constricted. His body tensed. His eyes glazed over quickly. He stopped breathing. 

He hated hunters his whole life. And they weren't even the ones he should have blamed. 

The silver from around his wrists fell, but he didn't look up. He could feel Levi's presence nearby, but all he did was drop to his knees and stare at the ground. 

“Come on, brat.” There was suddenly a hand at his shoulder. The thin, but strong fingers squeezed at his shoulder. “I'll take you home.” 

“No.” Eren found his voice saying. The last thing he needed right now was to deal with Levi. 

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“I want Hanji to take me.” 

Hanji didn't make a joke out of this. Instead, she just nodded and stood up. Levi looked a bit taken back, but retrieved his hand and nodded simply. 

~~*~~*~~

Thankfully, this time, when they left Eren wasn't blindfolded or unconscious. They left in Hanji's car and he was grateful for it. For one, he was away from Levi and had less to think about. He could now focus on everything they told him about his father. Secondly, Levi didn't own a car. He owned a motorbike; Eren was glad he didn't have to be grabbing onto Levi right now. 

“How do you feel?” Hanji asked him, her eyes focused on the road. He was glad she understood that watching the road was more important than watching him, for once. 

“I don't know.” He told her honestly. Confused? Definitely. Angry? Not so much. Shocked? Oh yeah. 

“I see where you're coming from.” She started, “But we're not the bad guys here, Eren.” She commented softly and sighed. “And as you can see, we don't kill innocents. The vampires that we kill have definitely killed somebody.” 

“The only reason I'm not dead is because you need me to find my father's journal.” 

Hanji sighed, “Maybe you're right.” She commented and Eren looked over at her with wide eyes. “Or maybe you're not. It all depends on you.” She looked over at Eren then while they stopped at a red light. 

“Isn't Erwin worried that me and Levi will kill each other on that mission?” 

Hanji giggled then. “No offense, Eren, but there is no way you could kill Levi.” Hanji giggled again. “The only chance you have against Levi is that he will hesitate. He has a soft spot for you.” Hanji's face turned serious all of a sudden. “He never hesitates.” 

“He didn't seem hesitant at all when he was kicking my face in.” Eren snapped. 

“Oh!” Hanji squealed suddenly and reached into her pocket. “Look!” She exclaimed, pushing a handkerchief towards him. “It's your tooth! Oh, Eren, it's wonderful! Let's see your fangs!” She grinned and poked at his cheek, watching him like a hawk. 

He rolled his eyes and willed his fangs to snap down. 

“And it's already grown back!” She exclaimed. “That's remarkable!” She paused then, just to put the tooth back in her pocket; Eren frowned at that. “Levi didn't want to hurt you.” She stated then, grabbing the wheel again and willing the car to go once the light turned green. 

“Well, he has a funny way of showing it.” Eren snapped again. 

“Look, Erwin isn't that much into knowing vampires.” She sighed. “I had a hard time persuading him to let me catch some to experiment on. All he needs is to know how to kill them.” She sighed again. “If he didn't think Levi meant business, he would have given the mission to a different group of hunters.” Hanji explained. “Levi did what he did so he would be put in charge of you, nobody else.” 

So, to some extent, Levi was protecting him. _I'm sorry._ The voice echoed in his mind. Was it Levi? When could he have apologized?

“Hanji, how am I supposed to know where to find my father's journal?” He sighed, his mind slowly wrapping around everything that was going to happen next.  
s  
Hanji cocked her head to the back seats, “The letters your father left. Some of them might have clues.” She informed him and then stopped the car. Eren quickly understood that they reached their destination. Before he could leave, however, Hanji stopped him. “Eren,” She spoke up. “Don't do anything stupid. There will be hunters watching you every minute of every day.” 

Eren nodded silently, grateful for the warning. He didn't understand what Hanji meant, though; it's not like he was planning to go out and hunt down some people. 

He gave her a tight smile once he got out of the car and a small wave. He saw the lights on in the apartment and didn't bother looking if he even had a key with him. He opened the door, finding it open, and walked in. 

He noted then that his clothes were still covered in his own blood and the stench rose quickly in the air. A small, breathless chuckle left his mouth as he imagined being on Levi's motorbike with him and having the hunter squirm when so close to dirt. 

“Armin!” He tried, checking who was in the house. “Mikasa!” He needed to make sure they were alright. 

There was no answer, so he instead walked further into the house. 

When he walked into the living room, though, he stopped. Armin sat on a couch with a very clear frown on his face. Mikasa stood by the wall opposite the door, leaning for support; he quickly realized her hair was slightly shorter than before. 

And on the other couch, with wide eyed and open mouth, sat Marco. 

Eren looked down at his own bloody, ripped clothes and understood that was exactly the sight Marco was seeing right now. 

“Well, fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! I've literally been running on 3 hours of sleep the past few days and I have exams coming up :/ I hope the wait was worth it, although, personally I don't think so.  
> So, here's the back story.  
> Thank you guys for all the amazing comments and the reads and the asks on [tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/) :)  
> I would be really grateful if you guys could check out my new one shot: [A Silent Whisper](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1546919)  
> And yeah, I know I tend to rant around here but I really love talking with you guys! Like, I think the evidence is in the comments! So don't feel shy about wanting to leave a long comment ;)  
> If you're confused about anything, just tell me :) Thanks for reading!  
> NEXT UPDATE: Sunday ;)


	9. Forgiveness?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco gets an explanation.  
> Erwin lets Levi know of an important part of the plan.  
> Eren has to think everything over.  
> Jean gets an unexpected proposal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A MASSIVE thank you to lacrima8 on tumblr for drawing this [fanart!](http://lacrima8.tumblr.com/image/84598603351)

“Marco!” _What the hell was happening._ “... Hi.” _Smooth. Nice one, Eren, maybe you should ask him about the weather next and hope he doesn't notice the fact that you're drenched in blood._

“Eren, what happened to you?” Marco was up on his feet and across the room, looking over Eren with worry clear in your eyes. “Where did you go? What happened after Friday night?” He paused, his eyes scanning frantically over Eren again. “And why are you covered in blood?” He asked again, a repeat of all of his previous questions. 

“It's a funny story.” Eren spoke up, his hand rising to scratch at the back of his neck. “It's a Halloween costume.” Mikasa sneered from her side of the room and he could almost hear her voice going, _what a stupid thing to say._

Marco's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Halloween is gone, Eren.” He pointed out simply. 

Eren paused and looked around the room frantically. Mikasa was staring at him passively, probably entertained to some level with how flustered he was looking. Armin was making motions with his hands behind Marco, but Eren couldn't make out exactly what Armin was saying. “Well,” He chuckled nervously. “There's always the next year!” 

Armin face palmed and Mikasa's shoulders shook with a silent chuckle. 

“What Eren is trying to say,” Armin spoke up. “Is that he's been out getting ready for an awesome costume competition next year.” 

“Well,” Marco started, his nose scrunching, “You even got the smell of blood right.” 

“Yup!” Armin added quickly, throwing an arm around Eren with a giant, cheesy grin on his face. “That's Eren for you!” 

Marco nodded slowly. “I was just worried.” He admitted. “I haven't seen you guys around and none of you pick up your phone so I-” He was cut off by a knock on the front door. 

Mikasa pushed herself off the wall and went into the hallway, clearly going to open the door. Once the sound of the door opening and closing rang, another voice joined in. Jean came through into the living room, looking around the room in panic. His eyes settled on Eren and widened. “What are you doing here?” He asked Marco quickly. 

“I told you,” Marco replied, “I was worried.” 

“Well, no offense, Marco,” Jean started as he walked further into the room, “But it's better if you leave, this doesn't concern you.” 

Marco frowned again, his eyes scanning over Eren before they returned to Jean. “What's going on?” 

“Just leave, Marco.” Jean sighed, his head hanging down and his eyes focusing on the ground. “Nobody asked you to be here.” 

“Jean!” Armin's appalled exclamation cut the silence of his harsh words. 

Marco pursed his lips and nodded once. “Fine.” He breathed, giving Eren a one more look over. “Great costume.” He murmured, and then the footsteps down the hallway sounded, followed by a door slamming closed. 

“You didn't have to do that.” Armin snapped at Jean quickly. 

“It's better that he doesn't know.” Jean replied simply with a shrug. “Now, tell me what happened.” 

Mikasa and Armin went first, telling their stories. Eren found out Mikasa had to cut the ends of her hair because the blood wasn't getting out; one of the hunters tortured her for information but gave up once she almost bit him. Eren managed to tell them a quick version of what was going to happen over the next two weeks and then about the trip he was to take with Levi. “No.” Mikasa spoke up first. 

“It's not like I have a choice, Mikasa.” He sighed. 

“You're not going back there.” Mikasa almost growled, her eyes flashing dangerously red. Her eyes were usually dark and dull, but when anger took over they came alive. By back there, she meant Shiganshina. They swore to never go back after what happened. “And I don't believe those scum! They're hunters! Of course they killed our family! Annie said-” 

“I don't give a shit what Annie said, Mikasa!” Eren snapped, his voice coming out louder than he wanted it to. “You don't own me. I said I'm going, it's my choice.” His voice was final. “I'm going to my room. Nobody follow me.” He turned, and headed out of the room without a word. 

~~*~~*~~

“This isn't up for negotiation, Nile.” Erwin's voice was strict and firm, exactly the voice you would expect from a commander. “My decision is final.” 

“Working with vampires!” Nile exclaimed, his hands thrown into the air with exaggeration. “It's preposterous!”

“I am not saying it's forever, Nile.” Erwin added and sat down at his desk, pulling out a stack of papers while he did. 

This caught Levi's attention. “What was that?” 

Erwin looked over at him, his eyes sparkling with something Levi couldn't recognize,”Levi, you don't expect us to be working with vampires all the time, are you? The kid will get us the journal and then it's over.” 

“What the fuck, Erwin?” Levi growled, sitting up from his cross-legged position and staring at the stoic man across the room. He received a fearful look from Gunther, who sat next to him, because of his harsh language. Levi remembered Eren telling him that it was admirable; that even through his harsh language and cold exterior, he always followed orders he was given.

“Levi, don't make me rethink assigning you to this mission.” Erwin spoke calmly, sorting through the papers carefully. “I don't have the time, nor patience for that matter, for your newest hissy fit.” 

“It's not a fucking hissy fit, it's _breaking a promise!_ ”

“There was no promise.” Erwin replied and Levi caught Nile looking smug. “In the end, he is still a vampire, which we kill.” 

“But, Erwin, he-” 

“ _Commander_ Erwin.” Nile cut him off venomously, correcting him with a glare. _God, how Levi wished he could grab his blade and slash his throat with it._

“There's no discussing this, Levi.” Erwin didn't even look at any of them while he spoke. “If you're not up to the task, somebody else will be. I just thought with your personal vendetta against vampires, you would find it a relief.” 

That was a low blow. Of course he hated vampire, how could he not? They broke his family. But saying it would be a relief to kill Eren was taking it too far. Erwin could read him better than he thought he did. And now that he thought back to it, he wasn't even sure if Erwin believed his little show of beating up Eren; instead, he was planning this from the beginning. 

This was why he was the commander: Erwin was the cleverest out of them all. 

“You say that like killing vampires is the only fucking thing I live for.” He snapped in return, ignoring the icy glare Nile shot his way. 

“Isn't it?” Erwin asked simply, his eyes coming up to look at Levi then. “The point is: in the end, Eren will die. Whether you do it or somebody else does, it's still going to happen.” 

~~*~~*~~

His finger pressed the button on the game console and he sat down on the bed. But instead of actually picking up a remote, he stared blankly at the screen; his knees bent under him and he wrapped his arms around his shins, placing his chin on top of his knee. 

Everything hit him now.

The tears started coming before he could realize; he closed his eyes tightly in a useless attempt to stop them.

Whenever they were kids, Armin would say Eren was too impulsive and never gave a second thought to a plan which could end better. He was too aggressive, too passionate and too vehement. Naturally, Eren worked to change that over the course of years. But now that he thought back to the events of the past few days, perhaps being what he was before could end better for him. 

If he had been aggressive to start with, he could maybe have caught Levi off guard and killed him before he could develop any long-lasting crushes. If he had been aggressive, he could have fought back when they encountered the hunters in the alley. If he had been aggressive, he could have killed Hanji while they were in the car. 

But why wasn't he?

The honest truth was: Armin was right. He was too hot-headed as a child, and over the years he did his best to change that. His actions usually got the people he loved in trouble, and he wanted to avoid that as much as he could. 

Then why was he here?

He didn't attack Levi because he developed a stupid crush. He didn't attack Levi because he decided the hunter was a good man, even in the circumstances. He didn't attack Levi because he felt genuinely sorry; the raven lost his family just as Eren did. Maybe the truth was, he saw too much of himself in Levi. Of course, there was also the simple enough fact that he had no chance against Levi; that has been proven multiple times. 

But Hanji was a different story. She was involved with the hunters for only around 5 years, and he was sure with her specialising in research, she couldn't have been that good. She took pity on him. He could have easily killed her in the car; but he decided it wasn't worth it. 

He learned his lesson with hunters. He couldn't be hot-headed for once; he had to outsmart them. Even Erwin, which definitely wouldn't be easy. He was sure Erwin had the perfect plans to kill him if anything went wrong; he probably had a plan B and a plan C, too. 

But because of his mistakes, Mikasa and Armin were now involved. Fate was clearly showing him something: he couldn't save everyone. But he would still try. 

And Marco! Why did Marco have to care so much? Now they had him to deal with, to make sure he wouldn't find out. Jean was right about this; he definitely didn't want Marco involved.

The shock of everything he was told still didn't hit him. He tried to understand how all of this was possible, but when you believe one thing your whole life, it's hard to change your perception of the world. 

A flashback hit him suddenly; Armin's grandfather teaching them that forgiveness was always the right way to go. Eren laughed coldly at the memory. 

Forgiveness? How could he forgive everything that happened? Granted, not all the hunters were to blame, but was it fair to only blame the superior? It was the same dilemma as if blaming a soldier for killing somebody: do you blame the soldier for carrying out an order or do you blame the superior for giving it? 

The hunters looked to them as animals. That's all they were. For now, he would keep a calm mind, but if one thing went wrong, he was sure he would not be able to keep it in any longer. He just had to make sure to keep Armin and Mikasa safe. 

And then everything he learned finally hit him. 

It wasn't impossible for vampires to conceive, but for a vampire to be born what he already was, was extremely rare. That's not to say Eren was the only one; it was just rare. Just because two people who were vampires fucked, didn't mean the gene would be passed on; it almost never was. 

He closed his eyes tightly as the image of his mother- his sweet, gentle mother- ripping away at somebody's throat came to him. The next image was of his father- his smart, loving father- piercing a vampire's heart with a silver dagger. He wasn't sure which one was worse; in the end, he was both. 

There were also the different views of hunters. He had to believe either Hanji or Annie. Hanji was an honest person; he could tell. She had been nothing but honest with him so far. Annie, however, was a vampire. Being a pure, just like Eren, she must have received her share of incidents with hunters. Who was he to believe? 

In the end, it wouldn't really matter, would it? Once he had the journal in his hands, he would be on the run. His only problem, then, would be getting away from Levi. 

A knock on the door sounded and he jumped slightly, clearly disrupted from his thoughts. He called a quiet 'come in' and watched as Armin poked his head in, followed by Mikasa. 

Of course. Eren had only been thinking about himself; these past few days couldn't have been easy on them either. And tomorrow, they would all have to face classes and act like completely nothing happened. 

“Can we come in?” Armin asked silently, and Eren gave him a silent nod. 

Mikasa pushed through Armin and headed straight for Eren. Eren didn't realize he flinched while she threw her arms around him in a tight hug, her face fitting in the space between his neck and shoulder blade. “I'm just glad you're alive.” She whispered to him, and he understood her worry: he was her only family, and she was his. 

He hugged her back carefully, thinking through whether this was one more act to persuade him into doing what she said. But her hug was so tight, so insistent and so desperate, he couldn't deny it. He wrapped his arms back around her. 

They were then joined by Armin, whom Eren beckoned over with his hand and watched as the blond struggled to join in the hug. Eren almost laughed at his poor attempts to wrap his short arms around the other two. 

These were the only two people he had left in this world.

_And he would do anything to protect them._

~~*~~*~~

He ran down the street, his steps precise but quick. He looked around and debated going faster, maybe even faster than the human eye could perceive, but decided against it once he realized the sun was only setting now.

He had to find Marco and explain. 

He thought being harsh would definitely be the best way to go around; he wanted Marco out of anything he's seen. For Eren to show himself like that in front of Marco was completely idiotic; but he didn't expect any more from that kid. 

He had his own internal debate happening; from what Armin and Mikasa told him, the hunters around here weren't stupid and he would definitely have to stay off the radar. He was definitely not going to sacrifice his life for one of the others' mistakes. 

He turned the corner and in his rush, bumped straight into somebody. He staggered back, not managing to catch his balance and instead falling straight to the ground. He looked up, a viscous comment ready at his lips, but his eyes widened as he recognized the figure standing above him. “Annie?” 

“Jean, right?” Annie didn't even seem to have felt the impact; she stood firmly on the ground, her expression bored and her arms crossed over her chest. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“We need to have a chat.” Annie spoke firmly and Jean looked around her, watching another figure emerge from the shadows. It was a tall man with short, blond hair; his large height and broad shoulders gave him an intimidating presence. “The hunters here: where's their base?” Of course, Annie never bothered with useless chats, she got straight to the point.

Jean laughed slightly, hanging his arms over his knees as he sat up. “You're not planning to attack the headquarters of hunters, are you, Annie? That's absolutely idiotic and reckless.” He chuckled and shook his head slightly. “A plan worthy of Jaeger, but not you.” He looked over to the man behind her. “I'm sure both of you can't take on all the hunters.” 

“It's not going to be the two of us.” Annie spoke back simply. “You're doing it with us.” 

Jean laughed and stood up, brushing the dirt off his trousers. “Am I now?” 

“Yes.” Annie said,”Unless you want your boyfriend to get hurt.” 

Jean's face paled; it wasn't hard to guess who she meant. But he couldn't show them that Marco was his weakness. “Go for it.” He shrugged. “Kill him, for all I care. He's only a human. There's 7 billion more of them around.” The man looked over to Annie, anxiety written on his face. He clearly didn't expect Jean to say that. “And what, you brought the muscle to intimidate me into helping you?” Jean nodded over to the man.

“I don't need anybody to help me.” Annie spoke back, taking a step towards Jean. “You're going to help us because you know the truth: unlike the others, you don't believe dying is worth any of this.” Annie turned to look at the man. “We have our reasons. Do you?” 

Did he have reasons to kill the hunters? They had hurt his friends. Because of the hunters, he was destined to be on a run; never stopping long enough to even make good friends, good friends like Marco. 

He looked up at Annie, but her face was back to the bored expression she always wore. She wasn't waiting for an answer and that made him slightly uncomfortable; she either already knew his answer or didn't expect him to give one right now. So, he bit his lip, looked away and then turned around, returning to his journey towards Marco's house. 

“Was that a yes?” The man behind Annie spoke up as Jean disappeared from sight.

“I don't know, Reiner.” She spoke back smoothly, rolling her eyes slightly at his impatience. 

“We can't take them on ourselves...” Reiner started, his feet shuffling on the ground. “And we can't give up.” He added in a growl, taking a step towards her. “We have to do it for him.”

Annie rolled her eyes, but her shoulders slouched slightly, “Revenge won't help Bertholdt now.” She stated, some feeling seeping into her voice. “He's dead.” 

“Because of them!” Reiner growled, his fists clenching. “And I swear to God, Annie, his death won't be for nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do apologize for the shitness of the last chapter. Ergo, I understand why it didn't receive many comments+ all. I'll try to be better!  
> So, this chapter is really a little sum up of what happened and the consequences of it. I mean, who would say the hot-headed Eren would react so calmly? So here's an explanation!  
> Also, you're getting the beginnings of Jeanmarco and the introduction of Reiner. I do prefer Bertholdt over Reiner, but I don't think I could give him the justice. Therefore, he's dead. Sorry!  
> Next update is probably WEDNESDAY. If anything changes, just check on tumblr if I said anything :)  
> OH! And thank you all for the persuasive comments to get some sleep and all! It's the stress of exams getting to me, not me actually working; I'm way too lazy for that. Thanks for caring though!  
> And -MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD- 
> 
> DID YOU READ THE NEWEST MANGA CHAPTER LIKE OMFG WHAT IS HAPPENING. If Levi dies, I swear to God, I will be officially done! If Isayama is so evil as to kill him, then I shall be too. It all depends on him guys! Nah jkjk If Levi was to die, I'd still be done...but I'd try even harder to keep him alive here. Yeah. That's all.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	10. A tale of Vampires...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is grumpy and teasing Levi seems fun.  
> Armin gets a lesson in Vampirology 101.  
> Jean tries to explain himself to Marco.  
> A day in the life of a hunter.

Do you ever get the feeling that somebody is watching you, but when you turn around, there is nobody there? The difference was, Eren knew he wasn't imagining the feeling: there were hunters watching his every step. 

On top of being cruel murderers, apparently, they also had no lives. _Great combination._

And it annoyed him to no end. He knew it would be foolish to ask them to trust him, but they could have made it less obvious they were following him. He felt like a child again; each move cautious and always ready for the incoming scolding. Like a child? Hell, he still had to put up with Mikasa! She was enough; her eyes watched his every movement in case he got hurt- he didn't need a repeat of that even out of the house.

His annoyance rose even higher as he approached the coffee shop and saw Levi standing out front. The raven wore his leather jacket as opposed to the hideous green apron, his fingers steadily holding a cigarette as his nonchalant gaze swept into the distance. “What? You have nothing better to do than watch me, too?” Eren snapped at him as soon as they were at a hearing distance. 

Levi turned to look at him, his eyes narrowing and the distant look leaving them. “What the fuck crawled up your ass?” He snapped in reply. 

“Not your dick.” Eren murmured before walking into the coffee shop, but not before seeing Levi's eyes widen fractionally. He dropped his bag on a table and sat down before starting to stare down Levi. “Well?”

“Well, what?” Levi murmured, taking his place behind the counter. “If you're sexually frustrated, don't come to me, kid. I prefer my one-night stands...alive.” 

Eren rolled his eyes at the comment. _Technically, I am alive, dipshit,_ he felt like shooting back but settled for settling his heavy gaze on Levi again. “My coffee.” He spoke in an obvious tone. 

“You haven't paid, brat.” Levi spoke back, his tone bored as always. Thankfully, there was nobody else in the shop. Not with the new Starbucks opening a street down. 

“I think you owe me a coffee.” Eren pointed out with a shrug. “Or do you just pick up strangers and dry hump them in dark alleys?” He was almost sure Levi would point out the fact it was Eren himself who initiated their contact that day.

He finally figured how he would deal with Levi. Mikasa and Armin had been worried sick when he spent the rest of the time in his room alone and only came down a few hours later for a drink. But he finally figured out the perfect solution. 

Forgiveness was not an option unless earned. And that was not happening so easily. He wasn't an impatient child anymore; he knew that not everything Levi did was his own fault- after all, he had superiors he had to obey or face the consequences. He didn't expect anything other than this when he realized Levi would one day find out he was a vampire. But Levi did vouch in Eren's favour multiple times already, which perhaps hinted that there was still space for forgiveness in their relationship. 

There was also the small, not so easily avoidable, fact that Eren still found Levi way too attractive. Although an additional aspect to consider, he sure as hell wasn't going to make his choices based on that. 

“I don't owe you shit.” Levi hissed in return, surprisingly, his usually pale cheeks turning a slight crimson. _Ah, Eren could hear the blood rushing up to show Levi's small embarrassment._

So Eren came to a conclusion: he would try to stay diplomatic with Levi, but not without trying to annoy him at least a little. Teasing was definitely something that was involved. He would not let the raven forget that he made out with a vampire.

“How quickly you dismiss our love...” Eren pouted, slowly losing interest as he looked through the pictures taken in class on his camera. Levi, even though he rolled his eyes, started making a coffee, which Eren knew perfectly well. 

A thought occurred to him then: he was supposed to leave with Levi and Hanji in two weeks. Christmas break started in two weeks. 

“We're leaving for Christmas?” He found himself muttering, his eyebrows furrowing in a frown.

“Hanji pointed out you shouldn't miss classes or people will get suspicious.” Levi replied smoothly, like he had been practicing the answer in his head before.

Arguing would be useless. He was going to miss Christmas. 

Granted, Christmas wasn't that important of a holiday for him. He and Mikasa had no real family to spend Christmas with so they usually made the trip down with Armin to spend Christmas with his grandfather. Every year, Eren would despise the little traditions they had: wearing ugly Christmas sweaters, drinking eggnog and watching romantic comedies or even the baking competition which Eren always lost. 

But realizing he would miss all of them this year, actually hurt. 

“If it helps,” Levi murmured, his voice suddenly close and Eren looked up to see him setting down the freshly made coffee on the table, “Hanji has the ugliest Christmas sweater ever, which she will probably make you wear at some point.” 

Eren grabbed the cup and took a long sip of the hot liquid. 

In a weird way, it did help. 

~~*~~*~~

“How can you drink tea at a time like this?” Hanji exclaimed, her fingers working to clean her glasses quickly; Levi learned that was a nervous habit of hers. 

“Pretty fucking easily, four eyes.” He replied smoothly, his voice bored as always, his fingers gripping the cup tighter before he brought it up to his lips again. 

“Aren't you worried?” Hanji murmured, her eyes scanning around the room in search for something. Or perhaps, yet another nervous tick of hers. Heck knows how many she had. 

“Are you?” Levi asked instead of replying. 

“Of course!” Hanji exclaimed, looking at him as if he grew two heads before her gaze moved to the stack of papers she picked up. “It's the first time a vampire will cooperate voluntarily with us!” 

_Voluntarily was a huge stretch of the actual truth,_ Levi thought. “That's why I'm here.” He spoke back simply while putting down his now empty cup. His hand travelled to his hip where it gripped the handle of one of the two silver blades, he carried with him. 

Hanji rolled her eyes. “Yes, humanity's strongest to the rescue.” She murmured, her hand waving in an exaggerated motion and her voice full of sarcasm. He wasn't sure whether to be offended or not.

There was a silent knock on the door and both their heads snapped to look at it. Hanji called a 'come in' and they watched as Gunther's dark-haired head peeked through the crack in the door. His idolizing gaze set upon Levi and he acknowledged him with a respectful nod before turning to look at Hanji and giving her a small smile, “They're here.” 

Hanji clapped her hands and almost jumped up and down as Gunther opened the door wider and let more people through. Surrounding Armin and Mikasa were also Erd, Oluo and Mike. Clearly, the hunters didn't trust them to walk around the base alone. 

Mikasa looked annoyed, but Levi supposed that was her usual expression. He observed how she and Eren didn't look alike much and even though Eren didn't tell him- although, honestly, he probably would have at some point- Levi himself found out that Mikasa was only a step-sibling to Eren. Perhaps, if anything went wrong, either of their deaths wouldn't affect the other as much. That, Levi knew, was a lie. He knew how much it hurt to lose the only family you have left. 

“Armin!” Hanji exclaimed, going straight in for a tight hug while she grinned over to Mikasa, who huffed and raised her hand up to get the hair out of her face. At the slight movement, Levi watched as Oluo and Erd gripped onto their blades. Hanji turned to the hunters then,”Thanks for the help boys, but I think Ravioli has it from here.” She grinned and Levi rolled his eyes as he watched a slight smirk rise on Mike's mouth. Gunther, Erd and Oluo wouldn't dare, he knew, not with being a part of his squad. 

“Now, have a seat.” Hanji pointed over to a couch not far from Levi. 

While Armin sat down and leaned his elbows on his knees, clearly anxious, Mikasa sat next to him firmly but coldly; no expression on her face and her body stiff. 

“Now, before I let you take over my project,” Hanji put emphasis on 'my' and then sighed in exaggeration before cursing Erwin's name under her breath. “I'm gonna have to update you on what we already know.” 

“I mean no offense, Hanji,” Armin spoke up shyly but firmly, “But I've lived with vampires for a few years now.” He pointed out. 

“We don't care about their fucking toilet routine,” Levi stepped in quickly, dismissing the blond's point. “We care about their weaknesses.” His eyes looked over to Mikasa and although she did not express any feelings or reactions, Levi could swear he saw her fangs elongate while still in her mouth. 

“Exactly!” Hanji pointed at Levi as if he just got a hundred point question right. “Now, as you know, vampires are highly allergic to silver.” She picked up a small remote and clicked a button. A few seconds later, her prepared powerpoint showed up on the wall next to her. Levi looked up at the ceiling with a frown; he didn't even know there was a projector in this room. He held in the sigh: this was going to be a long afternoon. 

“Although painful and restricting,” As Hanji spoke an outline of a human body projected behind her, “The only way for a vampire to die is to have silver pierce its heart.” Hanji shrugged slightly, “Decapitation works too. They used to kill vampires that way before they discovered their allergy to silver. But, of course, it's more messy and requires more strength.” Messy. That's why Levi was definitely not a fan of decapitation. 

“I thought you used stakes.” Armin pointed out, his brows furrowing. 

Hanji nodded and picked up a nearby stake, showing it to him. “We do.” She agreed. “They're wooden with a silver coated ending. It's lighter than carrying around bars of silver. Although, many hunters are swapping onto blades, these days, but they're not as easy to hide.” Hanji's eyes met Levi's and then swapped down to the blade at his own hip. “So far, we haven't figured out anything else that manages to hurt vampires.” 

Armin frowned again,”Hundreds of years and that's all you have?” 

Hanji sighed,”We don't get to experiment much. And besides, we wouldn't even know where to start. There's so many available things in the world.” Her eyes looked over to Mikasa before returning to Armin. “I wasn't aware of it, but from what I've seen with Eren, it seems some vampires are able to develop a higher rsistance to silver, too.” And Levi saw the understanding hit Armin's face; if they didn't have silver to kill with, they had nothing. 

“Now, vampire abilities.” Hanji clapped her hands and changed the slide, which now showed the structure of teeth in a vampire's mouth. “Of course, the fangs. It's common sense to know vampires don't need to kill to feed, but many get carried away. Human blood is the only substance to keep them alive. Nails are sharpened into claws when required,” Hanji paused for a second and looked over to Mikasa. Mikasa said nothing, but Armin gave her a little shoulder bump and she rolled her eyes before she brought her hand up and let them watch as her nails evolved into sharp claws. 

“Excellent!” Hanji praised with a grin and turned to look at the slide again. “We get the inhuman speed but they can't use that all the time. It tires them out easily. There is the obvious inhuman strength. They're uncomfortable in direct sunlight, but able to stay in it for however long they want. Of course, there's the healing ability so no scars ever remain and normally fatal injuries heal in hours.” She looked over to Armin expectantly. 

“I know all of this.” Armin confirmed and she nodded along. 

“Great! Now, vampires are able to turn humans under the condition that the human is fully drained of blood before. A vampire does not have any of their own blood in their system; that's why they need to feed on it to survive. If a victim is drained and then fed vampire blood, they will turn into one within a week.” 

Levi remembered the experiments for that one. It wasn't easy finding volunteers to be drained of blood so they had settled on taking over serious criminals from the police and making sure they never made it out alive. 

Armin nodded along to what Hanji said, actually looking interested. Mikasa still looked bored. “Is there a cure for vampirism?” Armin asked unexpectedly. 

Hanji pondered for a second. “None that we know of.” She told him sadly. “And, unfortunately, I hardly think there is. For a person to be turned, they need to die. That's the same as asking 'is it possible to bring people back to life?'” Armin simply nodded in return. “And there's one more thing we know that you probably don't.” 

“Enlighten us.” Those were the first words that left Mikasa's mouth the whole time and Levi frowned at them; she was so rude. He then realized how much her behavior right now reminded him of himself, and quickly decided to cut her some slack. 

“After reaching the age of 21, which we found was an age where vampires were considered mature, they are able to alter their appearance.” Armin visibly sat up for that one. 

“Alter?” 

“With a close examination, it is probably still possible to recognize them, but that's how they survived for so long without raising suspicion. They can settle in a town and alter their appearance to look older as time passes. Then, when it gets to too long, they move on and start all over from a young-looking age in a new town.” Hanji pointed at two pictures on the slideshow. “That way, it's not suspicious that somebody hasn't aged. We think that's evolution working; we have no record of vampires doing that in the past.” 

Armin's eyes widened. “So when Eren and Mikasa turn 21 next year...” He trailed off. 

“Granted, it will take some practice, but yes,” She smiled comfortingly,”They will be able to alter their appearance.” 

Levi said nothing, but a single cruel thought ran through his mind: _That is, if they live that long._

~~*~~*~~

“Dammit, Marco! Open the door!” Jean banged his fist against the door again. He repeated the motion multiple times, careful not to put too much force behind his movements so that he didn't have to explain to Marco how he managed to break through his door. 

He stopped after 5 minutes and leaned his forehead against the door. He couldn't lose Marco. Marco has been there for him since the beginning; always by his side. 

When Jean first moved into town a few years back, he planned on avoiding any unnecessary contact with others and tried to keep to himself. Granted, he had a loud mouth, which got him in trouble a lot and gained him a reputation. Sure, some people wanted to hang out with him, but he never gave them a chance to. 

_Marco was the exception._

He somehow weaseled his way right in and made himself so comfortable with Jean in such a short period of time, it was hard to avoid him afterwards. 

“It's hard to open the door when you're in the way.” He turned around and his heart skipped a beat as he saw Marco standing there with a bag of groceries and waving a key in his hand. 

He stepped out of the way and let Marco open the door silently. When he walked in, Jean noted he didn't close the door behind him. Did he want him to come in? His question was answered by Marco looking back at him expectantly. 

He followed Marco into the kitchen and watched in silence as the other man unpacked the groceries and started putting them back. Now that he was here, he wasn't sure what to say. He was determined to say anything just to make sure he didn't lose Marco in his life. 

“Do you trust me, Jean?” Marco broke the silence. 

There was no hesitation in his reply, “Of course.” 

Marco looked over at him for a second before returning to his task. “I don't know what I did to earn your mistrust.” He sounded so honest, so wounded, Jean clenched his fists to keep himself from trying to comfort him. 

“You did nothing wrong, Marco.” He spoke, finally. “There are just some things that are better kept secrets.” 

“'Not if they're hurting my friends.” Marco turned around then and met Jean's gaze with his own determined one. “I would trust you with my life,” Marco started. _And that was the problem here,_ Jean thought bitterly. “I just don't understand why you wouldn't do the same.” 

He stepped forward, taking in a deep breath, “I'm just trying to protect you.” He admitted softly, not afraid of admitting it to Marco. Marco was the only person he could be himself with. 

“You don't have to protect me.” Marco told him with determination. “I can handle myself.” 

Jean realized getting angry would not help here. “I know you can.” He acknowledged. “But this is bigger than just me and you and everybody would be in danger if-” 

“Everybody?” Marco cut him off. “If anybody's life is in danger then I have the right to be able to protect them.” 

Jean paused for a second before muttering, “You can't save everyone.” He had learned that in his life. 

“That doesn't mean I won't try.” Marco replied simply and quickly, like he predicted that was what Jean would say. 

Could he trust Marco with this? He had kept this secret from him for years. And Marco had always been so patient with him; he was there for Jean through thick and thin. He was always by his side. 

“Okay.” Jean simply whispered. 

“Okay?” Marco repeated, his eyebrow raising in confusion. 

“But before I tell you, can I just do something?” Jean asked instead, his throat working to swallow nervously. Marco gave him no reply but a simple nod. Jean nodded in return and breathed deeply through his nose; it was now or never. 

He closed in fast and suddenly, his hands cupping Marco's freckled cheeks before Jean's lips pressed against the others' in an assertive kiss. His lips were unmoving at first and then Marco's body relaxed, curving to fit him perfectly. His mouth moved under Jean's, returning the kiss with a sudden urgency. Jean coaxed his lips apart and let his tongue explore within.  
Marco's hands came up tentatively, fluttering against Jean's arms as though he was unsure what to do with them. He finally curled the fingers of one hand into the hair at the nape of his neck. The other he pressed tight against the back of Jean's shoulder. It almost seemed as though he was willing more of Jean against him.

Jean's whole body shook: this was exactly what he wanted. But he couldn't have it. 

Suppressing a groan of frustration, he released Marco and backed away. But Marco was smiling at him, his smile radiating warmth. 

_It wouldn't last for long._

Then, Jean closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and willed his fangs to snap down. 

~~*~~*~~

They normally hunted in a squad, or at least pairs. Of course, there were certain individuals who certainly didn't need back up- Levi, for one- but the groups made sure they wouldn't separate nor be surprised by an attack. 

Of course, with everything happening right now, many hunters were too busy watching Eren to dedicate their time to their usual patrols. 

It was Erd and Oluo's turn to watch over Eren while Gunther headed home, having separated with Mike just before. 

A noise in the street caught his attention and he paused, his hand ready on the stake stashed in the belt at his hip. He was never arrogant- god forbid be arrogant around Levi- but he was sure he could take on a vampire by himself. He smirked slightly; in their little competition, he had 7 solo kills with additional 40 obtained in a team: giving him 47, bested only by Oluo and Mike. Then again, Mike was right under Levi and Commander Erwin; he shouldn't have even compared. 

He couldn't even try to guess how many Levi had killed in his short life. 

His eyes scanned the surroundings slowly as he backed into a side alley, hoping that if it was a vampire, it would follow him there and away from public eye where they could be detected. 

When a figure appeared at the other end of the alley, a tall shadow cast on the wall, he stopped and let go of his stake. It was only a girl. “Are you alright?” He called out carefully. 

The girl walked closer and he noticed the blonde hair tied back into a ponytail with her fringe hanging off the right side of her forehead. “I'm perfect.” She replied simply. Her voice seemed too cold, too unnatural and Gunther's hand returned to his stake within a second. “You, on the other hand...” The girl trailed off and Gunther's hand released the stake it was holding as his arms were suddenly restrained behind his back. 

_Two vampires!_

The one that held him was definitely a man. He struggled and kicked, but his trained strength was no match for the inhuman strength of the male vampire. 

The blond stopped right in front of him, looking at him coldly. “It's too bad you won't be able to pass the message to Erwin...” She spoke quietly, blankly and Gunther knew what was coming. Either way, he struggled again, his mind quickly working to think of a plan. 

The girl's hands grabbed both sides of his head and twisted. There was a loud, unpleasant crack and his body fell limply to the ground, with the two vampires still standing above it. 

“But perhaps your body will do that just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's rather ironic, isn't it? Gunther gets killed by Annie in the manga and you get a repeat here ;)  
> Oooooooooooooh, what did you think of the Jeanmarco?  
> And yeah, there will probably be a little monologue from Eren at some point about how he's feeling and shit but right now I'm putting the Ereri on neutral grounds. I mean, he understands that Levi did try to save his ass and he does have to follow orders so Levi is not to blame! Well, not fully anyway. I kind of like this chapter though, I do enjoy a grumpy Eren teasing Levi for once. And you got an insight into a few more details abut vampires here!  
> How do you think the hunters will react to Gunther dead? ;)  
> Oh btw, if you haven't already, can you just answer this [quick question?](https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/F6RP5R6) I'm trying to decide which summary to use.  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)  
> Next update: less likely Friday, more likely Saturday.  
> Thanks for reading!


	11. Unnecessary Casualties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi finds out about the loss of his squad member.  
> Eren finds himself thinking too much about the things he really shouldn't.  
> Armin goes to make sure Marco is alright and comes upon an interesting revelation.  
> Eren and Mikasa get an unexpected, angry visitor.  
> Erwin and Mike realize why the recent murder seems so familiar.

Being a hunter wasn't easy. 

Every day you woke up, you dreaded finding out if any of your friends and companions died the previous night; which happened from time to time on an unsuccessful hunt. The people you trained with, grew up with, tolerated and finally came to like; there was a 30% chance they would be dead before they reached 25. Of the 7 billion people in the world, around 500 thousand were vampires- an estimate, of course. It was a figure too large to simply ignore. 

Most hunters came to be what they were because of family influence: simple inheritance. Those started training from ages as young as 6, and were the best of the best. Once they took the final training exam at 18, they were free to choose where they wanted to go. 

Different parts of countries had different amounts of vampires. In a hot continent, like Africa, there would be less vampires due to the discomfort of heat and sunlight. This was exactly where people like Nile went; those who trained, but never wanted to face a vampire in their lives. The cowards. Or, perhaps, the smartest of them all; it depended on what perspective you were looking from. 

Starting his training at 11, Levi received one of the highest- if not the highest- scores when he turned 18. Erwin always called it natural talent, but Levi saw it as a survival skill which he evolved into quickly. There was no skill about killing vampires; it was pure luck. 

And some weren't always so lucky. 

“Who did it?” Levi growled, his hands slamming flat against the top of the mahogany desk (THAT IS MAHOGANY. I couldn't resist. Sorry.) in Erwin's office. “I want them found and I want them dead.” He hissed, his hands clenching. Normally, he didn't let death get to him so easily, but this was different. 

Levi didn't tolerate many people. The ones that he did, Erwin let him pick for his own squad. Levi picked the best of the best. But they weren't just that. Surprisingly, they were also his long-time friends; the same people who he graduated training with. The only people in this godforsaken world that he trusted. 

“You need to calm down, Levi.” Erwin replied, his voice level as his eyes measured up Levi slowly. “I have an investigation team on the case.” 

“Your investigation team ain't worth crap!” Levi's hand slammed on the desk again, his eyes narrowing dangerously at Erwin. “That's a member of my squad that's dead! I should be able to take this into my own hands, for fuck's sake!” 

“Your task for now is to go calm down. When I get more details, you will be the first to know.” Normally, the commanding tone of Erwin's voice would be enough to let Levi know that this was not a friendly suggestion, but a direct command. This time, however, he would not stand for it. 

“No.” He spat back, pulling his hands back and straightening his arms by his sides. “That's two members of my squad dead. I won't let my comrades die in vain.” Petra, and now Gunther. They were being picked off one by one. 

“They're soldiers. They're prepared to die.” Erwin's next words hit a vein. 

“I know that.” Levi hissed in return. “But they're also people. They all have names, families and feelings. They are all humans who live and bleed. And your only responsibility in this damn organization is to make sure they survive.” 

Erwin ignored his little rant. “I gave you an order, Levi.” He replied strictly, his eyebrows furrowing at Levi's obvious lack of obedience. 

“And I said I don't give a shit.” And normally, he would always follow orders. He was known for that. But this time, somebody had to pay. “It's not just about Gunther. There are vampires out there who are out for blood, and I'm pretty damn sure that's something we're here for.” He hissed in annoyance. 

“We have no leads for now.” Erwin muttered in reply to that, his hands opening a folder which was placed there earlier by Mike. Levi was sick of receiving the sympathetic glares from people around him. “Rico!” Erwin's voice yelled over the room and a door opened. 

Levi watched Rico Brzenska walk in from the corner of his eye. He never interacted much with the other hunter, but he heard enough to know that she was one of the highest ranking amongst them. Nowhere close to himself, of course. “Sir.” _Ah, that's how a good soldier was supposed to speak to Erwin._

“Tell Hugo to report from the investigation team. I want details. I sent out Gustav to gather Intel from civilians; make sure he reports soon. Get Ian and Mitabi back here; I need them on patrol for tonight.” Levi knew enough to place that Ian and Mitabi were a part of Rico's squad; the elite members. Levi looked over to Erwin and tried to keep the smirk off his face; there was a time where he found Erwin's authority a definite turn on. 

_Unfortunately_ , he realized as he rolled his eyes discreetly, _that was no more._ Now, his biggest turn on were probably large teal-green eyes and fangs: _wonderful._

Sighing in annoyance, Levi understood he wouldn't get much more information out of Erwin. Instead, he turned on his heel- shoving right past Rico- and walked out of the room without a word. Checking his watch, he noted it was way too early. Usually, he would be the person to have the last word in an argument, but he simply didn't have time to rendezvous with Erwin today. He had classes and work. 

Perhaps, he would have to hold back on his actions until tonight. 

~~*~~*~~

“Eren.” He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at the petite blonde staring at him. 

“Sorry.” He apologized quickly, averting his eyes to the paper between them. “I just have a lot on my mind.” 

Historia smiled at him warmly, then, and all his worries disappeared for just a second. He certainly didn't make it his mission to make any new friends in his classes, but after being assigned into group assignments, it was hard to not at least talk to your partner. 

Historia had a small, petite frame with long blonde hair and a heartwarming smile. She had a kind nature, he could tell, and somehow she was always smiling. Just her presence seemed to calm people. He was lucky to have her as a partner. 

“It's fine, Eren.” She laughed lightly, flicking her pen in her hand while she looked down at their assigned task: City Lights. “We should probably meet and get this done soon, though.” _It had to be sooner rather than later,_ Eren thought grimly, since he would be leaving and perhaps not returning. 

Not to get confused, he actually enjoyed those assignments. Photography was a great subject and a great hobby, and Eren would be lying if he said he didn't try to put a lot of effort into his work. Then again, Armin used to always tell him that he was too passionate; perhaps here, this was a good thing. 

“Right. How about tomorrow?” He offered while his mind scanned over anything that would get in the way of the task. Except for nosy hunters, he came up with nothing. 

“Sounds great.” She smiled again and he almost felt a smile curving on his lips too. Her smiles were just so infectious. 

When he left the class, all that was on his mind was the little trip he would be taking with hunters. He wondered how it would work. Surely, they wouldn't trust him not to escape on the first chance he got but at the same time, he knew himself that running away would be useless. He wanted to know what his dad found out about vampires just as much as everybody else. 

Maybe then he could finally come to terms with the new information: his parents weren't killed by hunters, but by vampires. 

_He spent his whole life hating the wrong people._

But surely, they must have done something to deserve all the bad reputation they got? Hunters were a gossip between normal humans, but that didn't mean they were spoken of well, even amongst the humans. Humans have a hard time keeping secrets. If one knew, that meant more knew. 

He was sure some people were aware of what was happening in the world; those just chose to ignore it.

He avoided going to the coffee shop today. He had nothing to say to Levi, and looking at the time, Levi wouldn't be there anyway. Most of his classes were in the afternoons. 

He thought back to what seemed like ages ago, but in reality really wasn't: he remembered Levi showed him his sketchbook. Throughout his years, Eren learned that people really put themselves in their hobbies: swimmers had a unique technique, runners had different routines and musicians put their feelings into each word they wrote. Artists were no different, and he saw that with Levi. 

Whereas some of his drawings were colorful and abstract, which he denied under the excuse of the teacher telling him to draw that way, most were dark shades which portrayed something he felt all the time: pain and loneliness. Eren knew the feeling. Levi was capable of drawing anything, but he chose to draw what he was most adapted to. 

Eren shook his head with a sneer while he opened the door to their house. He really had to stop thinking about Levi; it would never happen. 

The second he was through the door, he met Mikasa head on and stopped himself just before bumping into her. She said nothing, probably still mad at him for not trying to get out of this situation more, but simply handed him a cup with the exact thing that kept him alive. 

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the cup, taking a sip right in front of her and giving her a _'are we done?'_ look right after. According to Armin, Hanji told him that Eren looked weaker than a vampire should be; which quickly spurred both of his housemates into realizing that he hadn't been feeding as much as he should have. 

He was drinking the minimum he could, just to stay alive. 

He thought back to why hunters hated vampires. They hated them because vampires fed on human blood to survive. If that was to stop, there would be no problems. Perhaps it wasn't much, but Eren felt better knowing he wasn't wasting blood, which could have saved somebody's life in the hospital. 

Mikasa watched him until he drank the last drop and then took the cup off him, taking it to the kitchen and leaving him alone. _Yep, still mad then._

Eren sighed and looked down at his hand, where a stray drop of blood found itself. He looked at the liquid and frowned; he didn't remember losing control when the hunters took him, but he was sure he did. His mind had some blanks. He couldn't even imagine how Hanji and Levi saw him then. 

He scowled and wiped his hand on his jeans before heading upstairs; he never wanted to lose control over himself ever again. 

~~*~~*~~

Armin's hand knocked against the wooden door and he waited. He only hoped Marco wasn't mad at him- or, more likely, Jean- for what happened the other night. 

There was no immediate answer, like there always was, and Armin started worrying slightly. Could something have happened to Marco?

The door opened then and Armin's eyes widened at the sight of Jean opening the door to Marco's house. “What are you doing here?” He blurted out before anything more intelligent or clever came into his mind. 

Jean raised an eyebrow at the stupid question. “This is my friend's house.” He pointed out simply, leaning on the door and looking back into the house for a second before turning back to look at Armin. “Is there something you want?” He asked then, his voice impatient. 

“Where's Marco?” Armin gathered his thoughts and clenched his fists as he realized exactly how this looked. 

“He's fine.” Jean assured him quickly, certainly coming to the same thought process as Armin. He was cleverer than Eren thought, Armin realized. “I, erm-,” Jean stuttered, his arm dragging back to scratch at the back of his neck, “I told him everything.” 

Armin's eyes widened. “You did?” He was sure Jean wanted to keep Marco out of this. 

“Yeah.” Jean nodded once. “It was either that or losing him as a friend. I didn't want to risk it.” 

“So...” Armin paused, his lips pursing. “He's fine with it?” 

Jean chuckled then, looking down with a small smile on his face. Armin almost rolled his eyes, it was such a love-struck, shy smile that he felt like he was invading just being there. “I was kind of stupid in thinking Marco would want out after finding out.” Armin nodded along; Marco was probably one of the most loyal people Armin met. 

“How did he react?” 

Jean chuckled and opened the door slightly, clearly inviting Armin to come in. Armin stepped in and followed him down the hallway. “He thought it was a joke at first. He actually tried to pull at my fangs to check. Once he realized how sharp and real they were, he almost got a heart attack.” Jean chuckled again, reminiscing, “Poor guy.” 

They came to a stop by the living room doorway. Armin looked in and spotted Marco half-lying on the couch, snores making their way out of his mouth. He almost giggled at the sight. “He freaked, yeah, but he admitted he wasn't scared.” Jean's voice took a softer tone, the kind of tone he only used when talking to or about Marco. 

“He had a lot of questions.” Jean admitted, his shoulder leaning against the doorway. “So we sat down and talked. Talked through half of the night. He fell asleep halfway through an answer.” Jean chuckled, his head motioning to Marco. 

Armin looked over from Marco to Jean, raising an eyebrow. Jean's hair looked messy, dare he say just like somebody ran their fingers through it. His clothes were slightly disheveled but there was a permanent, small smile stuck to his lips. “Did something else happen between you two?” He asked slowly, a teasing grin lifting on his lips. 

Jean snorted and started pushing Armin down the hallway, towards the door. Once he opened the door and Armin stepped out, he grinned, “I don't kiss and tell, Blondie.” He said and before Armin could interrogate him further, the door closed. 

Armin stood there for a second, shocked, but then turned and started heading home, a grin stuck on his face. 

~~*~~*~~

His eyes flashed open and he shot up in his bed, his hands quickly rubbing at his eyes as he realized he fell asleep. He didn't usually have a habit of taking naps during the day, but all the worrying and thinking must have tired him out somehow. 

There was a loud banging at the door and Eren strained his ears, hearing Mikasa click the lock and open it. Then, there was yelling and as Eren recognized the voice he shot out of bed, even going as far as using additional speed to get down the stairs. 

“You know exactly what happened! And if it wasn't you, it was one of your bloodsucker friends.” His tone was harsh, harsher than usual, and actually gave an insight into his feelings for once. 

“Levi.” Eren spoke, making the hunter flinch and turn around with the reflex worthy of the great hunter he was. “Always the one for friendly visits.” Eren eyed the long silver blade in Levi's hand before his eyes swapped to watch Mikasa standing by the doorway to the living room, her lips pulled back in a snarl and fangs on display while she stared down the silver.

“I bet you know something.” Eren didn't have time to react before Levi's fist curled into his shirt and dragged him forward, putting their faces closer together. “Who killed him?” He hissed. 

“I seriously have no idea what you're talking about.” Somehow, Eren managed to stay calm. Unlike Mikasa, he knew exactly what Levi was capable of, and killing him right now was not on that list. 

“One of my squad members is dead. Killed by two vampires.” Levi explained quickly, his eyes narrowing at the ignorance in Eren's voice. 

“I don't know every fucking vampire in town, Levi.” Eren hissed back, realizing that Levi was making a big scene out of something he wasn't even sure related back to them. 

“Watch the tone.” Levi snarled, his fist tightening and Eren watched him bring the blade up, the tip close enough to Eren's throat. Mikasa growled and started to move, but Levi cast her a glare over his shoulder which immediately stopped her. 

But Eren didn't react like he should have. He blamed his stupid crush on Levi for that; he should have been fighting back just like every nerve in his body told him to, but he didn't. He saw the shadows under Levi's eyes and the blanker than usual look in the grey orbs. He knew what this was. 

“I'll be fine, Mikasa.” Eren spoke instead, his eyes looking over to where his sister stood ready to pounce at any given moment. “Just leave.” 

“But, Eren, he-” 

“Leave.” He growled then, starting to get annoyed with Mikasa's over protectiveness. He was sick of being treated like a baby. Levi watched their exchange in silence, his position unmoving. 

Mikasa cast a long look between them before sighing, her fangs retracting. She then headed for the front door, knowing full well Eren wouldn't want her listening in while she was still in the house. “You fucking hurt him, I'll hunt you down.” Mikasa promised just before grabbing the doorknob and slamming the door behind her.

Eren turned to look at Levi then, who averted his eyes down to look at Eren's shirt instead. “Levi,” Eren whispered now, the sympathy flooding his voice. “You probably don't want to believe me, but I had nothing to do with your friend's death.” 

Levi looked up at him then. He had never seen Levi cry yet, and he was sure that even now his eyes weren't even watering. If losing a friend didn't bring him to tears, Eren wasn't sure if anything could. “I didn't say he was a friend.” Levi growled instead, his grip tightening. “He was a valued comrade.”

Eren shook his head slightly in disbelief, his eyes narrowing and scanning Levi's face. “You wouldn't be so upset about it, then.” He pointed out. 

Levi shoved him away then, instead choosing to look down at the blade in his hand and twisting it in the air, clearly portraying the skill he had with the weapon but Eren thought it was just an oblivious motion which somehow comforted the hunter. “I don't like unnecessary casualties.” 

And it was then that Eren understood why Levi was really here. 

Normally, he wasn't the quickest person to catch on to hints, but this time he understood perfectly. Eren and Mikasa were watched 24/7, there was no way they could have killed anybody and gotten away unseen; Levi knew that, but he still found an excuse to come here. 

“You knew perfectly well it wasn't us.” He spoke instead, his feet taking action of their own and moving in on Levi. “You came here because you needed to talk to somebody.” 

Strangely, Levi didn't deny it. “His death is on my hands.” He murmured, his gaze still locked on the blade in his hand while his eyebrows furrowed into a deeper frown. 

“You couldn't have stopped it.” Eren pointed out. Why was he comforting a hunter in the first place? A dead hunter was surely a win for him. 

But Eren knew why he was standing here, trying to somehow comfort Levi. He understood what loss felt like, and the only people that were there for him when his parents died were Mikasa and Armin. Mikasa couldn't understand; they weren't actually her parents, and Armin never lost his family that way. But Levi understood his loss, and he understood Levi's. If there was one person on this planet who could say _'I understand'_ , it was definitely Eren. He only wished he had a person like that when he was grieving himself. Maybe then he wouldn't have wasted 2 years of his life. 

“But I should have, dammit!” Levi exclaimed, then, the blade dropping from his hand as his arms fell limply by his sides. 

Eren wasn't sure what the boundary here was, but he stepped forward again and found himself right before Levi. His hands itched to get around the man, but he knew that was just his stupid crush trying to take over. But something swelled inside him, knowing that Levi was comfortable enough to stand unarmed before him, vulnerable and open. 

“Don't you dare hug me, Jaeger.” Levi hissed, his eyes coming up to finally meet Eren's large orbs. 

So, instead, Eren sighed and hesitantly brought his hand up. His hand fell hesitantly on Levi's shoulder and the grey-eyed man watched the movement cautiously. “I just want you to know I understand.” 

He saw the recognition sparkle in Levi's eyes as the man came to a conclusion that Eren really _did_ understand. Levi's eyes moved away from the hand on his shoulder and he sighed, his eyes closing as they just stood there. 

Comfort was something Levi would never get from Erwin. And that was perhaps what brought him to Eren; he knew the passionate boy would know exactly how to react in a situation like this. It was hard to admit, but sometimes, a simple, comforting hand on your shoulder could make thing better. 

The door opened then, and Armin froze in the doorway. “Um,” He started, his eyes scanning between the two of them as Levi quickly stepped back, instead bending down to pick up his weapon. “Am I interrupting?” 

Eren turned to Levi for an answer, but when the raven didn't even meet his eyes, he turned to Armin and replied with a simple “No.” 

“Good!” Armin walked into the house fully, clearly oblivious, and closed the door behind him,”I just came back from Marco's, and you will _not_ believe what happened between him and Jean!”

~~*~~*~~

“Erwin.” Mike was one of the members of the organization who were there just as long as Erwin. Erwin remembered training with the other man and graduating together with him, two years before Levi did. Mike clearly didn't need to address Erwin and act like others did. “Is there something here that smells fishy, or is it just me?” 

Erwin turned to look at the other man, sighing. “I know.” He admitted. “You think we're dealing with the same people?” He asked, his eyes trained on the other. 

“We only killed one of them before.” Mike admitted. “There were three, but the other two ran. It could very possibly be that they found us now, and they want revenge.” 

“Yes.” Erwin supported, his head nodding once as he looked over the previous report from a year ago. “I do think we're dealing with the same group.” He admitted slowly, his hand grabbing the pen and writing down a few notes to add to the report. 

“That's really not comforting.” Mike commented, leaning back in the chair and sighing. 

“No, it isn't.” Erwin agreed. “Just like before, they're not going to be killing to feed. They're going to pick us off one by one, for the joy of a hunt and revenge for a dead friend.” 

Mike nodded, a small smirk creeping up on his lips, “Ah, yes.” He murmured in agreement. “Those _are_ the worst ones.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys don't understand my need for Ereri right now. So sorry if Eren's reaction doesn't really fit, but I really needed it. I need the love! My exams are all like next week, so I'm freaking the fuck out.  
> I didn't really feel like going into much detail with Marco/Jean here because I think everybody guessed that Marco wouldn't leave Jean over this. Kind of predictable.  
> A small time skip next chapter!  
> Oh, and Erwin is a cold ass bastard. ;) I also started hinting at Levi/Erwin's past relationship since that will come up later in the story.  
> Also, introduced Historia in this chapter! Love that girl. Wherever history is, Ymir is not far behind ;) ugh, I'm starting to feel like nobody in this story is straight. Sorry about that. I promise, Armin will be! God dammit, some straightness is needed.  
> Also, sorry if Levi isn't really in character, but I needed him to react to a death now because of something that I have planned for further chapters. ;) And, it's kind of hot, okay- sue me.  
> I'm sad to inform you that the next update might not come until around THURSDAY. I have a 3 hour exam on Tuesday, 2 exams on Wednesday and an exam on Friday. Maybe I can fit in writing a chapter around them. If not Thursday, then FRIDAY DEFINITELY.  
> Sorry about that guys :/ I tried making this chapter longer. Thanks for hanging in there with me and for all the nice comments and kudos! Love you all!  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	12. Impatience is a virtue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren realizes how soon they're actually leaving.  
> Marco talks (a lot) while he and Jean bump into somebody unpredictable.  
> Eren confronts Levi about ignoring him.

Unlike Armin and Mikasa, Eren had an easier time avoiding the hunters, especially Levi. 

It wasn't that he tried to avoid the raven. Even the opposite. But it seemed Levi didn't think the same, and skillfully avoided Eren under any excuse he could. Even when Eren made his way to the coffee shop, hoping to catch a few words with Levi, he found himself being served by the other barista, Mike, who Eren got a bad feeling from. 

Either way, he managed over a week of avoiding all the hunters before the time came. He still felt like they watched his every move, perhaps because they did, but once his last class of the semester ended and he left the room, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. 

He didn't know any details of anything that was to happen. Nobody had told him. He wasn't sure whether they would be heading out tomorrow or later. 

It was also only then that he realized he put no effort whatsoever to actually try to find hints to where his father's journal could be. The letters from his father still lay on his desk, but he was in no hurry to relive memories. What if the hunters had it wrong? What if the journal was burned down or ripped to pieces? Would Eren still be needed or would they get rid of him just like they managed to get rid of everything else?

He closed the door behind him and a hand gripped at his shoulder within seconds. He looked up, startled, nails starting to lengthen into claws before he registered Hanji standing in front of him with a grin. “Oh, you're here! Good!” She exclaimed and grabbed onto him tighter, pulling him into his own house. “Get packed! You're leaving!”

His eyes widened,”Already?” He didn't consider leaving tonight. He was going to spend tonight with Armin and Mikasa, as a last meeting since he didn't know when he would see them again. 

“You should probably hurry.” Hanji added quickly, pushing him towards the stairs. “I got Levi to clean my car, since he completely refused to drive in it before it was clean, but he will be getting here soon. And he's not very patient.” Eren rolled his eyes, he knew of that well enough himself. But he felt comforted by the fact that they would not be on a motorcycle anytime soon; he clearly didn't need the extra touching to create an awkward atmosphere with Levi. He managed that all on his own.

He took Hanji's advice and packed quickly. He needed some spare clothes and his camera, just in case. He also shoved in the previously untouched letters from his father and closed the bag, flinging it over his shoulder as he headed downstairs. 

Hanji was staring at the newly put out flowers in the house before she heard him coming downstairs. “Don't plants die around vampires?” She wondered out loud. 

“Mikasa likes them.” Eren murmured in reply, putting his shoes back on. “And no. We can control it.” 

Hanji's eyes widened and she clapped her hands in excitement. “That's amazing!” She exclaimed, closing in on Eren and observing him thoroughly. “I wish I could take you with me and-” Her, what Eren supposed would be, long speech got cut off by the loud sound of a car beeping outside. 

“Wait.” Eren quickly spoke up as Hanji started heading for the door. “You're not coming?” He only now realized what this truly meant. Just he and Levi in a car. Alone. 

Hanji gave him a small smile,”I have to help Armin out.” She told him and Eren understood he wasn't the only one affected by this; who knew if Armin would even be able to leave for Christmas. “But I will get there later.” She added quickly as her hand settled on the doorknob. Eren quickly wondered how she got into the house without anybody in. “No need to worry!” She added in an exclamation as they headed out of the house. “Levi will take good care of you.” She winked then, and Eren started to wonder if she planned this. 

Eren looked towards the slick, black car parked in front of them. It was a standard car, too dark to be showy and camouflaged well in the darkness. He guessed it was a car given to hunters from the organization. 

The car beeped again, and Eren could almost feel Levi's impatience rising in the air. He gave Hanji a tight smile and headed for the car, wondering whether he should get in the front or the back. He ultimately decided getting in the back would be stupid. 

He opened the front door and sat down without a word, dropping his bag by his feet. When the car didn't move, he sighed and looked over at Levi, who was staring back at him. 

His hair parted neatly as always, his grey eyes narrowed slightly in their usual stance. One of his elbows was leaning on the car wheel while the other rested on the door with the car window opened fully. It was quite the sight, especially since he blended right into the car with his own black clothing. Only the silver ear piercing flashed back at Eren in the light. “Well?” Levi spoke, then. 

“Well, what?” Eren's brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of the raven's words. This wasn't to do with anything that happened before, right?

“Where are we going?” Levi rolled his eyes in impatience. “I thought you would have fucking figured it out.” 

Eren looked out towards the window,”Well, I didn't.” He spoke back simply and sharply. 

Levi cursed under his breath, but pressed his foot on the pedal anyway. “Guess Shiganshina first, then.” He murmured. “I wished it wasn't. That town is a fucking long way to go.” Eren knew that perfectly, they moved out of their home town to forget everything that happened; this also included moving to almost the other side of the country. 

Levi said nothing more. 

And Eren realized how awfully awkward this car ride would be. 

~~*~~*~~

“Sparkle in the sunlight.” Marco spoke yet again, a certain skip in his step as he walked alongside Jean. 

“Nope.” 

“Immortality.”

“Big yes.” 

“Knock-out bad breath.”

Jean chuckled,”Big no, no.” 

“Super babies.” 

“Of some sort.” He shrugged slightly. “They don't grow up faster than usual babies, though.” Jean stopped once he realized what Marco was doing. “Are you applying every knowledge of vampires you have from movies and asking if it's true?” He wondered out loud. 

Marco shrugged in return,”Better safe than sorry.” Jean's lips turned up in a smirk at Marco's innocence.”Do Connie and Sasha know?” He added after a thought. 

“No.” Jean replied. “And they're not going to.” He turned to look at Marco sternly, but once he caught a look at the honey-colored eyes staring back at him he couldn't help but grin. 

“Compulsion.” 

“I wish.” He couldn't stop the smile from making its way onto his face. 

Once they reached their usual bar, however, it dropped immediately. In their usual booth, were sat other people. But that wasn't the point. 

Annie sat with her arms crossed over her chest, staring down everything around her like it personally caused her harm. Her friend, Jean supposed, sat across from her, eagerly sipping on a pint of beer. Jean was about to back out when Annie's eyes turned their way and she sat up. 

“Isn't that Mikasa's friend?” Marco almost giggled at the word 'friend' and Jean would find it adorable any other time, but right now, this was bad. 

“We should go.” He murmured, quickly turning around and trying to make his way out the door before he realized Marco wasn't behind him, but was instead heading straight for Annie with a grin on his face. He cursed under his breath, looking down at his phone and seeing a message from Connie, before he followed after Marco. 

“Hey, Annie!” Marco greeted and Annie's gaze fell on his lazily before she turned to look at Jean and something sparked in her eyes. 

“Marco, right?” She murmured, her eyes instead falling on her friend with a knowing look. Jean only hoped Sasha and Connie would hurry up. 

“Right.” Marco smiled again, while Jean crossed his arms over his chest. “Mind if we join you?” 

“We were hoping you would.” Annie's friend spoke up this time, a grin starting to light up the blond's face. “I'm Reiner.” He introduced himself, sticking his hand out for Marco to take. Marco shook his hand and sat down right next to him, trying to engage Reiner into a conversation. Jean frowned and hesitantly sat down right next to Annie. 

“What are you doing over here?” He hissed right by her ear, conscious that Marco might hear them. He kept an eye on his freckled friend just in case. 

“You didn't answer us the last time.” She told him smoothly, her voice like ice. Jean saw Reiner eyeing them for a second before he returned to trying to keep Marco busy. “I'd hate to take your lack of an answer as a 'no'.” She added, looking down at her nails then. Jean followed her gaze and watched as her nails sharpened slightly as she looked at Marco.

“I can't help you.” Jean murmured, keeping his gaze down. “The hunters already got to Eren. I'm a close second for a suspect.”

“I don't really care for your life story.” Annie spoke in a bored tone, watching as Reiner called for another round of drinks. “All I care about is taking them down.” She shrugged slightly. “I'll do it whether you help me or not. I'm just trying to make it easier for you.”

“I'm not going to let you fucking blackmail me.” Jean growled then, his fists clenching. 

Annie looked at him from the corner of her eye. “That only tells me you're not willing to negotiate.” She hummed slightly, her eyes settling on Marco. “He must be very valuable. That definitely makes him a target.”

It was then that Connie and Sasha joined the group, slightly out of breath after running as to not be too late to the meeting. Their attention turned to Reiner, whom they introduced themselves to very excitedly. 

“Please.” Jean turned to pleading, his eyes heavy on Marco as he saw him laugh at something Connie said, the dimples forming at his cheeks. 

“I already lost somebody valuable to the hunters. I won't hesitate in showing you how that feels.” She hissed back, clearly not going for the begging. 

He felt a leg brush his own under the table and looked up, his gaze meeting Marco's. He watched the other mouth 'are you okay' and nodded quickly without hesitation. 

“I'll do it.” Jean whispered to Annie, his body tensing as she stood up and pushed past him to get out of the booth. 

“Good.” She spoke, addressing Jean before giving a lazy wave to the rest, Reiner following closely behind her. 

~~*~~*~~

It's been a long, dreadful hour of awkward silence. Eren counted each minute in his head. It would take them a few days to get there, and that's before considering how much they would have to stop for food and sleep.

Eren's hand reached over to turn the radio on but was instantly stopped by Levi, the raven slapping at his hand with reflexes worthy of a vampire. “Don't.” A simple word, but it was more than a warning. 

“Didn't know you really hated everything.” Eren mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. 

“Most music playing on the radio is the pop shit that I hate.” Levi murmured in reply as an explanation. Eren raised his eyebrows, but nodded once; he had to agree with Levi there. 

“Well, I don't do well with awkward silence unless it's after a night of wild sex,” Eren started and watched as Levi tensed behind the wheel. Eren hid the smirk spreading on his lips and carried on,”And as this is unfortunately not the case, I'm really uncomfortable with that, so maybe we should talk.” 

Levi kept quiet for a long while before he cleared his throat,”What the fuck can we talk about?” He murmured in reply. 

Eren looked over at him, seeing his stoic pose,”How about the fact you've been avoiding me for the past week?” He offered with a shrug.

“What? You expect me to pop in for a cup of fucking tea every night?” Levi shot back, eyeing Eren from the corner of his eye. 

“I don't like tea.” Eren pointed out with a shrug. 

“Your damn loss.” Levi commented in reply. 

“I don't know what you were expecting when you came over that night.” Eren snarled, his fists clenching. He wanted to get to the bottom of this. “If you're gonna walk around with a stick up your ass because I tried to comfort you, then you have some serious issues, buddy.”

“That's not the point.” Levi sighed then, sounding tired even to Eren. 

“Then please, explain the point.” Eren motioned with his hand in over exaggeration. 

“The point, brat,” Levi started with a hiss to his voice. “-is that you're a damn vampire. If you haven't realized this yet, everything that happened between us since the beginning is gone. All of it. And I should be ashamed for even being near you.” 

_Ouch._

“You're acting like I'm some kind of big monster.” Eren sneered. “I can assure you I've killed less people than you have.”

“I don't kill people!” Levi shot back heatedly. “I kill monsters.” He corrected. 

“There's no such thing as monsters.” Eren murmured. “But if you want to start, why don't you kill all the hunters while you're at it.” He commented, his head turning to look out the window. “You all kill mercilessly. You don't care if somebody has a family or if they're innocent.”

“If this is about your parents-” Levi started carefully. 

“It's not.” Eren assured him. “I know the truth now. But it doesn't change anything.” 

“I don't know why we're even having this discussion.” Levi mumbled, changing gears and turning. “I can't be close to you. Simple as that.” 

“Right.” Eren mumbled. “Because I'm a monster.” 

The car stopped and Eren sat up, looking at Levi sharply. “For fuck's sake, Eren.” Levi sighed and leaned his head on the wheel, his short height letting him do so comfortably. “I know you're not a monster. I know you've never killed a person, and dammit, I know it all.” His voice was quiet, and Eren felt like this was some sort of a confession. “I'm not stupid.” Levi murmured. “You've never fought back, and only wanted to protect Mikasa. You're not even holding a grudge after I fucking beat you up in front of everybody.” Levi's head raised, his grey orbs focusing on Eren. “That's why I'm staying away from you.” 

“Because I don't hold a grudge?”

“Because you should!” Levi exclaimed, his clenched fist hitting the wheel as a beep sounded. “I hurt you and you act like nothing ever happened. And that's not fair. You're supposed to hate me!” He exclaimed again, his loud voice turning into a sigh. “And when you don't, it's hard to think of you as someone I'm supposed to kill.” 

This wasn't news to Eren. He figured Levi would be commanded to kill him at some point. 

“So stop with making all the fucking jokes and the teasing. I'm not stupid, Eren.” Levi repeated himself. “I know a crush when I see one, and I'm telling you now that it's not going to work out.” 

Something inside Eren drowned with the realization Levi was right. He knew it, but spoken out like that, it sounded so much worse. 

“Damn, you sure do know how to reject somebody.” Eren commented, trying to mask the hurt in his voice. 

Levi remained silent and Eren wondered if he would say anything else, or even start driving. The quicker this was over, the quicker he could get away. But then, a silent reply came,”I don't want to.” Levi whispered and Eren's eyes widened. This was probably as close as Levi would come to declarations of feelings. He cleared his throat,”But it's the right thing to do now.” Levi quickly added.

Eren nodded silently; he kind of agreed, but the actual feeling of just being alone in a car with Levi told him he didn't actually believe it. 

Levi cleared his throat and straightened up in his seat. This, Eren realized, was the end of that discussion. He started the engine and pressed his foot on the gas. 

Eren sighed and turned to look out the window again, watching the droplets of rain race down. “Can I just ask about a few more things?” He murmured, feeling like Levi really wasn't in the mood to speak with him. 

“Are any of them about my dick?” Levi murmured, and Eren chuckled silently as he almost felt Levi roll his eyes. 

“Not unless you want them to be.” Eren replied. 

He rolled his eyes again. “Go on.” 

“When are we going to stop for food and sleep?” He asked, actually curious. 

“I'm sure you can sleep in your seat.” Levi pointed out simply. “As for you, we have a mini fridge in the trunk. Hope you're not picky.” Levi sneered. “We'll stop once I get tired: easy. It will be easier later on with Hanji.” Levi sighed then and Eren felt more coming. “Although Erwin ordered me to stop by a few hunter bases around, see if they have any problems I can help with.” 

Eren rolled his eyes. “You're going to go hunting vampires with me covering your back?” 

Levi sneered,”I don't trust you that much, brat.” _That much._ That at least meant he trusted Eren to some degree. He was snapped out of the thought with Levi grumbling under his breath. “There's a Sat Nav in the glove compartment, pass it.” Levi murmured,”I don't know which way that shitty town is.” 

Eren reached his hand under and pulled at the opening, reaching his hand in. Once his hand reached something, however, he froze in place. He definitely knew what this was; it was clearly not the thing he was looking for. 

“What?” Levi murmured. “You look like you've seen a fucking ghost and there's the biggest fucking blush spreading across your face.” 

Eren wasn't sure what to do. Levi saw his reaction and would clearly not let this go. 

Impatient as always, Levi cursed under his breath and reached into the glove compartment himself, his hand brushing against Eren's for a quick second before he grasped the contents and pulled back. 

Eren felt the heat spreading all across his face and neck as Levi observed the objects with a raised eyebrow. “Fucking four eyes.” He murmured, and threw the things in the back seat, taking out the Sat Nav and then returning to his previous position. 

Eren eyed the back seat; a bottle of lube and a pack of condoms stared back at him. He turned to look at Levi again. 

“Don't get any fucking ideas.” Levi murmured, clearly annoyed- or perhaps, _flustered._

Eren tried to hide the smirk that erupted over his lips: _How could he not?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I guess you guys really didn't like the last chapter. There were hardly any comments, and that's like the only way I can actually check if you liked it or not...If there's anything I can do to improve the story, don't hesitate to tell me!   
> So, I wanted to post something before Thursday, so this came out of my revision time. Probably going to fail my exam because of this: oops.   
> But you finally get some Ereri. However, if you look over the tags quickly, I did note this would be a slow build Ereri. It's not going to happen suddenly.   
> However, those who speak up like every chapter or message me on tumblr, thank you so much. It really means a lot to hear some feedback. And guys, 5000 views! I mean, this story is less than a month old! This is amazing!  
> If you know you love Hanji, clap your hands! *clap clap*   
> From here, the story will kind of split. Half of a chapter is going to be Eren/Levi adventures while the other half will be things happening back in town. Note: I never said what town/country they were in purely for writing reasons. I don't want to find out how long it takes to get somewhere so I can continue their journey as long as it is needed + All town/city names will be taken from SNK.   
> I hope I'm not boring you guys! Thanks for reading! And remember guys- any talented artists out there, fanart is always welcome ;) Ugh, especially the car scene. I track #fic: own ending on tumblr, in case you want me to see something.   
> Thanks for reading! Love you all!   
> Next update: probably Thursday.


	13. Guts and Glory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren continue on their little trip; Eren finds out what happened between Levi and Petra.  
> Armin gets an insight into what it means to be a hunter.

“Why the hell didn't you just Skype me?” Hanji's voice screeched on the other side of the phone and Levi rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath but keeping his eyes steadily trained on the vampire in the car. 

“Because we're not stopping yet.” He growled simply. “Thanks for being a little shit, like always.” He snapped, referring to the items they found in the car. 

“Oh!” Hanji squealed. “You found them? Perfect!” She then paused, giggling,”Did you make use of it?” Levi watched Eren's shoulders shake inside the car and narrowed his eyes, leaning over and opening the car door. 

“Stop fucking eavesdropping, brat.” He murmured to him before slamming the car door closed again, but walking a bit further away from the car, still keeping Eren in sight. “Of course not.” He snapped to Hanji, sighing with impatience right after. “We're close to Stohess; tell Erwin we're gonna stop there for the night and then check out the base there tomorrow.” 

“I figured as much.” Hanji answered, her voice clear like she really predicted it. “I already asked. Stohess is known for its wide range of unused tunnels. They're predicting there might be vampires hiding underground.” She explained and he listened intently. “But Levi, don't go alone. Get back-up.” Her voice turned caring, suddenly. 

“Fine.” He huffed, rolling his eyes. He knew she was worried, but he was sure Hanji knew how much he hated socializing with others, especially people who he never met before. Then again, he didn't promise her anything. “Bye.” 

He opened the door to the driver's side of the car and got in, shooting Eren a glare once he settled in. Eren gave him a brash grin and Levi shoved at his head, murmuring curses under his breath while Eren chuckled. 

He needed Hanji to fucking get here already.

~~*~~*~~

“I didn't agree to be a lab rat.” Mikasa's voice was blank as she stared forward, her body tense as the needle entered her arm. She tried to relax though, knowing it would result in a better outcome. 

Hanji said nothing and instead opted to give her a small, tight smile. It was Auruo who spoke up,”That is pretty much what you agreed to.” He snickered,”To protect your boyfriend, of course.”

“Eren is not my boyfriend.” Mikasa snapped, her expression softening slowly. 

“Right, you got her confused with Levi.” Hanji snickered. Auruo's eyebrows raised in confusions.”I don't blame you, Levi looks great in a dress.” Hanji muttered, taking out the needle and preparing a surface to work on. “Oh, did I tell you guys about-” 

“Captain? And the leech?” He interrupted Hanji and his lip curled back with distaste. “Are you sure?”Armin thought there was disappointment in his voice and quickly noted that Auruo visibly admired their squad leader.

“Well, I'm not one to gossip.” Hanji chuckled, looking down a microscope lens with a grin on her face and a glint in her eye which told them that was a definite lie,”But, totally.” 

“I wouldn't think that after what happened with Petra...” Auruo started which immediately caught Armin's attention. 

“I never got the memo on that one.” Hanji straightened and pointed out simply, her lips twisting slightly. “Like, it was the same year that I met Ravioli so I never heard the story.” She shrugged slightly,”I'm bound to hear it at some point. I heard she was kind of special.” 

Auruo nodded along,”She was.” He confirmed. “She didn't put up with anybody's bullshit- especially mine.” He chuckled lightly, his eyes gazing down at the floor sadly. “I heard there was something going on between her and the Captain.” He added. 

“That liar!” Hanji exclaimed quickly, startling Mikasa as she jabbed another needle in her arm but quickly apologized when she saw a flash of fangs. “He told me there was nothing between them!” 

Auruo shrugged simply,”Maybe there wasn't. I'd take the Captain's word for it.” He straightened up once he spotted that Hanji was done with Mikasa. 

“Escort her out.” Hanji told Auruo before turning to Mikasa,”Thank you.” She told her with a genuine smile on her face. Mikasa simply nodded and followed Auruo out, giving Armin a meaningful look on the way out. 

Hanji turned to look at Armin and grinned, rubbing her hands together in an impatient motion,“Now, how good are you with DNA structures?”

Armin sent out a quick text message before turning to look at her and forcing on a tight smile. Sure, it was interesting learning more about a completely different race, but at the same time, he knew this wasn't a voluntary activity he would have picked up for himself. He was doing this for Eren, and if there was a chance he could be useful; well, he would take it. 

This normally went on for hours, but today, it was different. 

About an hour into the session, Erd burst into the door with a frantic expression and his weapon drawn. “Hanji!” His yell came. “We need reinforcements. Now!” He gave almost an order and then he was out the door and Hanji was scrambling to get her own gear on. Armin stood by as she did, unsure about what to do next. 

“You can try to tag along.” Hanji murmured quickly as she strapped on her belt and placed the stake in its place. “Not sure if they will let you, though.” She added quickly, pulling her jacket on and running out of the room, Armin following close behind. Perhaps if he got a look at the vampires attacking, he could get the hunters more information. 

He definitely needed to be in the good books with them. 

On their way out of the building, Armin spotted Mikasa standing not far away and signalled for her to follow. He only received a nod in return before she disappeared. He assumed she would run and catch up. 

Hanji dragged him into a car while two more hunters got on motorcycles. She pressed the gas pedal, and then they were speeding down the street. 

~~*~~*~~

_From: Armin  
Ask Levi about Petra. Something weird._

Eren looked down at the text on his phone before looking up at Levi from the corner of his eye. He had been quiet since his little confession over an hour ago. They were due to stop in a hotel any time now. “Hey,” He started quickly, unsure if he would have the time when they were in the hotel room. “Wanna play 20 questions?”

Levi rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath,”I'd rather have you put the shitty radio on.” He murmured in return. 

“I'm glad you agreed.” Eren spoke anyway, perfectly knowing that with Levi it was better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission; in his case anyway. With everybody else, they would not live long enough to ask for forgiveness as they would be dead for disobeying him.”Your favourite colour?” Eren asked, although he perfectly knew the answer. 

Levi rolled his eyes at the stupid question, sparing a glance that said as much towards Eren before he turned to look forward again,”Pink, obviously.” He shot back and rolled his eyes yet again. “Yours?” 

“Green.” Eren shrugged, knowing that Levi knew the answer before asking. “Who's Petra?” 

Levi's hand jerked on the wheel as the car swerved slightly and Eren understood how shocking the question was. The raven's body had tensed,”Who told you that?” He hissed, his fists clenching around the steering wheel. 

“You're supposed to answer the question.” Eren shrugged nonchalantly. “Those are the only rules.” 

Levi didn't. “What's it like to be a vampire?” He asked instead, his voice tense and on edge as his grip didn't loosen. Eren straightened up at the question, realization setting in on how much it was bothering Levi. 

“Super.” He answered simply. “Your turn.” 

Levi looked over at him,”That's not an answer.” 

“If I tell you,” Eren paused and bit his lip,”Will you answer my question?” 

Levi considered. “Yes.” 

Eren nodded and sighed, contemplating how to go about this. “Do you ever get a really annoying itch that you can't reach?” He asked and Levi cast him a glance but didn't say anything. “That's how it feels like with blood. I can smell it, I can feel it; I can hear it pumping in your veins right now.” He looked towards Levi and they exchanged looks. “But you have to keep resisting it, although the urge is always there. Sunlight is like standing by a flame for too long; it gets uncomfortable. Of course, the speed and the super healing are great aspects of it. But the whole 'dark aura' thing gets annoying; it reminds you how dead you actually are when things around you keep dying.” He shrugged again. “You get the guts and glory, I guess.” He looked over at Levi. 

“Is life worth living like this?” Levi asked, and Eren contemplated not answering since he promised to answer but found himself answering. 

“Of course.” He snapped. “We're still alive. We have to make some sacrifices and take to some unorthodox methods, but we can still feel joy and love and happiness. Isn't that what life is?” He was getting slightly poetic, and honestly, it was worrying him slightly. 

“I met Petra when I was 16.” Levi replied and Eren sat up, eager to listen. Levi wasn't the person to share his life stories, so when he did, Eren felt special knowing that much more about him. “She weaseled her way into my life and I actually started liking her. She was bearable. She was friendly, kind and enthusiastic about life; everything I wasn't. She was the first person to encourage me to try painting.” He smiled slightly at the memory. “She also showed me that I didn't have to rely on others to survive.” His voice turned harder at the sentence. 

“So, you and Erwin...” He heard as much from Armin. 

“Yes, me and Erwin were involved.” Levi rolled his eyes. “After I met Petra, I realized why I was with Erwin; he was somebody who always guided me through life, but I never had a chance to take control over my own actions. So we broke up and I took my own shitty life into my own hands.” He sighed and Eren slowly understood. _Levi desired control._ He never had control over his own actions before, so now, he valued it more than anything else. 

“Petra found out about our lifestyle and started training with me not long after.” He chuckled slightly. “She had natural talent. That, or she gave it her best whenever she did anything.” 

“Were you and her...?” Eren trailed off slightly. 

Levi raised an eyebrow. “What is this? My love life history?” 

“I doubt you had much of one.” Eren shot back with a shrug. 

“You should talk.” Levi rolled his eyes in return. “No. We were just friends. Her father kept thinking otherwise and I suspect she had her own crush, but I never took it further.” 

“What a gentleman.” Eren teased and received a dirty look from Levi in return. 

“Then, when we were 18, she left to go on a patrol with one other hunter. This was a few months after me and Erwin broke up; I just started my first year at university.” He sighed slowly, his hands clenching on the steering wheel again. “They got attacked; they were outnumbered. But the vampire didn't kill her,” Levi paused, “They turned her.” 

Eren gaped at him as understanding started settling in. 

“I begged Erwin to understand. But an order is an order.” His voice had become cold again as he muttered the next words,”She told me she loved me right before I killed her.” 

~~*~~*~~

“Three of them moving south. We have an injured.” The voice over the radio spoke as Hanji parked the car and threw the door open, her eyes scanning the surroundings quickly before she grabbed the stake at her belt. 

“Stay back.” She warned Armin as she turned into a run, following Erd and Ian running just ahead of her. 

_Three vampires!_ Armin held the stake he was handed earlier in his own hand, his eyes scanning around quickly in search for Mikasa; he didn't find her. 

They turned into an alley and Armin froze. Figures fought in the darkness. 

Armin's eyes widened as he recognized one of the figures; the unmistakable blonde hair pulled into a ponytail with a loose fringe was easily recognizable as Annie's signature.

But...why was Annie fighting the hunters? Didn't Mikasa warn her? And who were the other two people?

Ian tackled the large blond vampire, bringing them both to the ground. The vampire's movements weren't as fluid and quick as Armin thought they should be, but each hit held much more power than usual behind it. When the blond's fist connected with Ian's shoulder, Armin heard the crack echo between the alley walls. 

While Hanji took on the slightly smaller male, Armin's frozen form watched Erd try to attack Annie. She dodged his attacks with such skill, such precision and such finesse that he was shocked into stillness. When she did strike, it was with perfect timing and rigor. 

Her claws sank deep into skin, through the tissues and into the muscles of Erd's stomach. He froze for a second, making one last attempt to strike her with the stake as she pulled her bloody hand back and took a step back. Ian roared, leaving behind the blond vampire after he was harshly shoved into the wall and pouncing on Annie. Hanji's scream of 'Erd!' echoed in the narrow alley. 

And then, the large, blond vampire was standing in front of Armin; his canines lengthened right in front of the human and he felt his body freeze up all over again. The stake dropped from his hand as the vampire grabbed his jacket, pulling him forward, his lips pulling back and revealing teeth, his head bowing down to attack; and then, it stopped. 

A blow came to the side of the blond vampire's head and he instantly backed away with a hiss. Armin fell to his knees and watched as Mikasa moved faster than he's ever seen anybody-even vampire- move. She didn't hold back as she pushed the vampire back and away. 

“Annie!” Mikasa's voice rose above the cries and screams of others. 

Annie's head turned towards the new addition and her eyes widened fractionally. Then, she disappeared. The other two looked at each other and nodded before they, too, disappeared with the chilling air. 

Mikasa disappeared with them and Armin suspected she would follow the other to find out why Annie did what she did. He couldn't imagine how betrayed Mikasa felt.

“Call an ambulance!” Hanji hissed at Ian and Armin watched as the hunter dialled on his phone quickly. He saw the fear sparkle in Hanji's eyes; she was bothered about losing Erd, sure, Armin knew well that they were rather friendly. But what Armin really saw, was Hanji trying to keep Levi's friend from death's grip. She cared about Levi, and after Armin heard about his previous reaction, losing Erd would not be any better. 

He could do nothing to help. He was truly useless. 

He looked down at the stake on the ground. 

If he wasn't such a coward, Erd might not be dying right now. He could have done something, but he froze and people could die now. 

_Levi would never forgive him._

_Hanji would never forgive him._

_Heck, even Eren would never forgive him._

_He was truly useless._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's a pretty short chapter, but i felt like I needed to end it here.   
> I hope you understood what happened with Levi and Petra. I actually like that little backstory. Like, imagine Levi having to go through that again with Eren.  
> I'm really glad so many of you enjoyed wingman!Hanji. She will definitely make more appearances! Next chapter will probably have Levi & Eren at Stohess where some shit will go down. Probably some Mikasa/Annie. Although now that I realize it, their relationship is tagged but it's never actually going to go graphic.   
> Thank you all for the lovely comments and all! I really appreciate you taking time to leave comments to let me know what you like/hate :)   
> And I was actually thinking of writing another vampire story after this! This time, I would have all sorts of supernatural creatures in there! I'm also starting to work on a new story, for now unnamed, but the summary of it is this: "This wasn’t a world where Eren was Humanity’s Last Hope, anymore. This was a world where Eren became its number one enemy." Sound like something you guys might like?   
> Thanks for reading! Next update probably Sunday!


	14. Kill Them All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren finds out about Levi's body. (Not as pervy as it sounds, Ereri shippers)  
> Jeanmarco get cute, then angsty, then cute again.  
> Mikasa is sick of Annie's shit but still hears her out.  
> Levi and Eren investigate Stohess underground in search of vampires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: longest chapter so far. Like, yeah, it's quite long.

Eren sat up straight in the bed, his knees bent and his back resting against the headboard comfortably. He looked over at the empty bed beside him before turning to the sound of water running in the bathroom. 

To say he was surprised at Levi's disgust with cheap motels would be a lie, but he didn't expect the raven to upgrade them to a four star hotel. Of course, it was also predictable that they would end up in the same room; after all, Levi couldn't let him out of his sight. 

So why was he alone right now? The answer sat on his wrist in the form of handcuffs. They wouldn't hold him back if he wanted to escape, but the noise he would make getting out of them would definitely let Levi know. The thought of Levi chasing after him down the hotel corridor in just a towel around his waist seemed almost too entertaining. 

“I didn't think you'd be awake. Took you for a heavy sleeper.” While distracted by laughing to himself, Eren didn't notice the water turn off. Levi waltzed out of the bathroom with just a towel around his waist and Eren swore he was doing this on purpose. His eyes bulged as he noticed an addition on Levi's body that he did not know about before. 

“You have more piercings?” He babbled out before he could stop it, but Levi simply rolled his eyes and picked up the phone which had just started to ring. Eren's eyes stayed glued to the piece of silver adoring Levi's nipple as his hand unconsciously pulled at the handcuffs so he could get up and take a better look. Levi shot him a glare as metal ground against metal; at least Levi was nice enough to use non-silver handcuffs. 

He snapped back to reality as he tried to listen in on the phone conversation. _Two teenage girls went missing last night. We didn't find bodies, so they were probably taken back to a hideout._

Eren huffed, staring down at the handcuffs like they personally offended him while Levi walked over to his bag and started rummaging through his clothes. Eren quickly wondered how he could get the handcuffs off; Levi was not going to put on a shirt before Eren investigated. God, he was starting to sound like Hanji. 

_Will you need backup?_ “No.” Levi's answer was firm and final. Eren's eyebrows furrowed as he remembered Hanji telling him to have backup. 

Eren gritted his teeth and decided; he pulled at the handcuffs quickly, not registering as the metal snapped and the sound echoed around the room. Levi turned around, phone in one hand while the other was already reaching for a blade stashed by his bed. Eren brought up his hands in a defensive gesture and Levi rolled his eyes before returning to the phone conversation. 

Eren took two steps forward, cocking his head at the piercing. “I really hope you didn't just break a pair of handcuffs to ogle me like a dog in heat.” Levi snapped, Eren only then realizing he ended his phone conversation. “Impatient brat.” 

_So what if he did?_ “Is it real silver?” He motioned to the piercing and Levi rolled his eyes yet again. Eren grinned in understanding, “So you can tell if somebody is a vampire when you're doing 'the do'?” He was joking, but his hands itched to feel the skin around the piercing. A part of him also wondered how often Levi did 'the do.'

Levi gave him a look, then, a look which pretty much told Eren he was completely done with his stupidity. “No.” He snapped simply, pulling on a black shirt. _What a surprise._ “I went through a phase, okay.” 

Eren's eyes widened. “Really?” He was genuinely interested. 

Levi nodded before shooting Eren a glare while he picked up a pair of boxers and motioned for Eren to turn around. “Yeah.” He grumbled while Eren turned around, fidgeting. _If he could only sneak a peek..._ ”Don't you dare turn around. I thought you were a bit more mature than that.” 

“What? Cause I've never seen a dick?” Eren sneered. “Or are you embarrassed that I might have seen better?” He teased. 

He heard Levi scoff. “I doubt it.” He muttered before telling Eren it was fine to turn around. When Eren turned, Levi was buttoning up his jeans and pulling on socks. 

“So, how many piercings?” Eren asked in turn, sitting on his bed and opposite of Levi. 

“How come you don't sleep much?” Levi asked in turn, looking up for only a second before returning to his task. 

“I don't need much sleep.” Eren shrugged slightly, hoping to fool the hunter into a vampire myth. When Levi gave him a look which told Eren he knew he was lying, he sighed, “I can't sleep.” He muttered simply. _Sleep would come easily if it wasn't for the nightmares._

Levi nodded, whether in agreement or understanding, Eren wasn't sure. “Nine.” He replied and Eren shot him a bewildered look. “Tongue, nose, brow and both ears.” He listed. “And, of course, the little strip show you saw today.” 

Eren began to understand that with Levi, a question was equivalent to an answer. Instead of answering straight away, Levi would ask a question instead and when, and only then, when that question was answered, he would answer himself. It was a game he played, but Eren found it fair, somehow.

“Go shower. You're starting to smell up the car.” Levi ordered, his eyes moving up to connect with Eren's again. “We're leaving in 10.” 

Eren gave Levi one more look before nodding as he grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom. 

Levi picked up the remains of the handcuffs and shook his head, scoffing lightly, “Damn brat.” 

~~*~~*~~

“I admire your attitude. If I saw all those big numbers on my assignments, I would give up right there and then.” Marco looked over the sheet before handing it back to Jean who began working on the homework. At this point, doing the work was a release for everything else going on inside his head. 

“You're exaggerating.” He replied smoothly. “You're smart.” He was a fucking wuss, that's what he was. Just because he clearly reciprocated Marco's feelings didn't mean it suddenly became safe for them to be together, but Jean tried to ignore it and perhaps try and be happy just for a while. But a threat like this looming over them was definitely too hard to ignore. 

He lasted twenty minutes of them doing work in silence. Twenty minutes was all it took for him to break the happy bubble he surrounded himself with. 

“I don't think we should go public.” He blurted out before he could stop it. But did he regret it? Annie clearly knew Marco was important to him, and would definitely not stop threatening him with Marco's life, but perhaps lessening the extent of their relationship could save Marco's life. 

Marco remained silent for a while, thinking through what Jean said. “Are you ashamed because I'm a guy or are you ashamed because I'm me?” He whispered, and Jean froze in his movements. 

“It's neither.” He was quick to answer. _God, he was horrible at this._ He wanted to show Marco how amazing the man was, how caring and compassionate. But all he ever managed to do was hurt him. “It's something else.” 

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” Marco tried, twirling the pen between his fingers absent-mindedly. 

Jean nodded; he knew, but that didn't make the sentence true. “I know.” He admitted. “But,” He started and paused, trying to think of words which wouldn't hurt Marco, “It's for your good, I promise.” Not the best words, again. Jean almost slapped himself in the face; he really was no good with words. He tended to blurt out the stupidest things, like when he told Mikasa she had beautiful, black hair. 

Marco nodded slowly, seeming to be contemplating Jean's answer. “Alright.” He spoke. 

Jean gave him a weak smile, hoping to bring up the mood somehow. The air was tense, now. When the smile didn't work, he pushed himself up on his elbows and leaned over the table, pressing his lips to Marco's in a quick gesture. Something stirred up low in his stomach and he almost smiled when Marco's hand came up to cup his cheek. 

His phone indicated there was a message and he was forced to pull away, shooting Marco a knowing grin as the other blushed, the crimson bringing out the freckles on his cheeks. 

He looked down at his phone and opened the new text he received. 

_From: Unknown  
Come to 102 Stonehill Road. Now. Alone._

He didn't need to think about anybody else; he knew perfectly well who sent the text. He looked over at Marco and then back at the text. He had to go. 

After a lame excuse of not feeling too well, he managed to leave Marco's. He got into his car and texted the unknown number back, saying he would be there in 20. 

He only looked back at Marco's house once.

~~*~~*~~

“Took you longer than I thought it would.” Annie stood in the middle of the room, her arms crossed in her usual, bored manner. Reiner stood by the window, looking down into the lightened street with Berwick on the other side of the window; the smaller vampire in the midst of wrapping a bandage around his quickly healing wound. “Maybe you're losing your edge.” 

Mikasa stepped into the room, her mouth half covered by the scar she usually wore, her fists clenched. “Why do you do it, Annie?” She asked coldly. They were both cold, detached characters. “I know you hate the hunters, but I didn't think you'd be as idiotic as to attack them.” 

“We're going to take them down.” Annie declared, her blue eyes scanning over Mikasa. “The only problem now is whether you're going to help us or go against us.” Mikasa looked over to the other two vampires in the room. 

If it was the two of them, maybe she would have had a chance. But with three vampires, one of whom she knew was a pure blood, her chances were rather slim. But she clenched her fists and tensed her body, ready either way. If you don't fight, you can't win. 

“How do you expect to beat them?” She asked, hopeful to find out Annie's plan. “There will always be hunters. If you were to infiltrate and destroy the base here, there are thousands more around the world.” 

“We're not going to do anything by ourselves.” Annie explained. Having Mikasa on their side would definitely be a strength. “We're simply going to expose them to the world. We're going to show humans how viscous and cruel hunters are, how imperfect their little world is, how afraid they should be of the monsters hiding under their beds.” Annie shrugged simply. “Either way, it's going to lead to chaos. And that's a win for us.” 

“What if humans choose to stand with the hunters?” Mikasa asked, her eyes narrowing at the blond vampire by the window; he was the one who attacked Armin. 

“We still won. All of the hunter bases will be exposed. Strength-wise, vampires around the world amount to humanity's power. If we were to plan and attack all the bases at once, they couldn't stop us.” This wasn't the Annie Mikasa came to know. This Annie sounded frantic for her plan to work; she was so sure of herself that it would. 

“Why would you think I'd join you?” Mikasa asked instead. “Why would I want chaos?” 

Annie cocked her head slightly,”I was under the impression that hunters already got to all of you. Seeing Armin there was just a confirmation of it.” She sneered. “First, Eren goes running after that midget hunter; he's as much as dead. They're going to kill him; everybody knows that. Now you're their little lab rat. Jean might be the only one to survive this.” Annie laughed, that cold laugh escaping her mouth; it made shivers rise up Mikasa's spine. 

“He attacked Armin.” Mikasa hissed in return, her dark eyes glowering into Reiner. 

Annie paid no attention to the obvious threat,”If all of you don't choose to work with us, we have to eliminate all possible threats.” 

“You're not really giving me a choice, are you?” Mikasa sneered, her body straightening once she realized what all of this is about. 

“Of course you have a choice.” Annie shot back. “Only one of them is the right one, though.” Eren. She could keep Eren safe through this. It was clear that the hunters found them repulsive, and their approaching death was no surprise. But by eliminating the hunters, Eren would be safe. 

“You keep Eren out of this.” Mikasa spoke firmly. “He can run off and pretend that everything is great back here. You keep him out of this mess, and I'll help.” 

Annie nodded,”As long as he is not a threat.” Mikasa nodded in return, acknowledging this. 

“He's not.” She replied firmly. She knew what Eren was capable of; and she was perfectly sure that if Eren wasn't irrational about this, he would find a way to stop Annie if he so much as wished for. But belittling him right now would only be advantageous to him. 

The door creaked open and all their heads turned to watch a new figure appear in the room. 

“You could have picked a place that was a bit less filthy.” Jean murmured as he emerged from the shadows, his hand wiping at a spider web. 

Mikasa's eyes shifted from him to Annie before she understood just how far Annie's hatred for hunters would really go: she wouldn't stop. 

~~*~~*~~

“Stop fucking worrying.” Levi snapped into the phone, gazing down at the manhole under his feet in disgust. “If you worry any more, Erwin's eyebrows will crawl off his face and onto yours.” He rolled his eyes. 

Eren snickered at Hanji's frantic scream at Levi's comment. Although Eren didn't pay much attention to Erwin before, thinking back to it, he did realize just how huge the guy's eyebrows were. It seemed they were the centre of many jokes.

“Alright, bye.” Levi finished the phone conversation and sighed, kicking at the open manhole with his foot. “I never imagined myself going into the fucking sewers.” 

“They're not sewers, per se.” Eren tried to point out, but simply received a glare from Levi. 

Levi cursed under his breath and motioned for Eren to go down first, mentioning something about having to keep an eye on him. If Eren didn't know any better, he would think it was so Levi could see the extent of damage to his clothing once he got down. And so he could take most of the dirt with him. 

“This is absolutely repulsive.” Levi repeated the sentence over and over again as he climbed down and joined Eren at the bottom. 

Eren gave him a crooked grin,”It's not so bad.” He commented, but once again received a glare from Levi. He decided it would probably be wiser to stay quiet right now; Levi seemed pissed enough. 

They walked down in the dim light; some form of ceiling lights lit the way weakly. Eren turned to look at Levi to see the man squinting into the darkness; perhaps having perfect vision during the night as a vampire would come in handy. “Need me to lead the way?” He teased with a grin, not that Levi could see it. 

“I need you to shut up.” Levi snapped in return as he turned the corner. Eren heard the grind of metal and looked down to see Levi drawing his weapon together with some form of a little device. 

“What's that?” He whispered, realization setting as he realized vampires might already know they were here; if there were any vampires here that is. 

“It creates some high frequency sound waves or shit, which disrupts vampire hearing.” Levi murmured, shrugging slightly. “Hanji says it works. I don't use it much; it gives me a damn headache.” So Levi did plan all this out carefully. 

He turned the device on but Eren didn't feel much different. However, when he tried to focus to listen to the blood pumping through the hunter's veins, he found that he couldn't hear it. He nodded in amazement; so Hanji did have some good results. Not that this was a comforting thought to the vampires that were held prisoner by the hunters; he flinched as he realized Mikasa might be one of them right now.

“Clever.” Eren commented. “But that also gives our team a disadvantage.” He pointed to his own ear and watched as Levi rolled his eyes. 

“This isn't a fucking team. I'm working, and you're a hostage.” He sneered. 

Eren snorted and shook his head, putting out his hands in front of him. “Right. I remember now.” He mocked. “Arrest me, officer.” 

Levi ignored his sarcasm and continued walking. 

It was a good twenty minutes of just walking before Levi put his hand out in front of him, efficiently stopping Eren but almost making him trip. He put a finger to his lips and leaned his whole body flat against the wall, his head popping out the corner to watch. Eren leaned over him, following the motion. 

He blamed the stupid device for not letting him hear what was going on. 

Two girls sat struggling by the wall, their hands and legs bound by a chain. Eren scrunched his nose; silver chain. It seemed rather idiotic for vampires to put silver on their own hostages, but he guessed it made sense in the fact that other vampires stayed away from the prey. 

He narrowed his eyes, getting a closer look. They were just barely teenagers, probably coming back from a sleepover or whatever it was girls that age did. They didn't deserve this. Opposite of them, leaning against a wall stood two males; one larger with defined muscles while the other an average build. Both still bigger than Levi, either way. 

Levi turned back around and turned to face Eren. “Don't make me regret this.” He reached down and handed something to Eren. Eren's eyes widened as his hand closed around the silver-tipped stake. “I'm trusting you, don't fuck it up.” He bit his lip and drew the other blade from its sheath. “There's at least three of them.” He spoke. _Three?_ “There might be more around the other side, but I can't tell.” He sighed. “I don't want you to intervene. They would be stupid if they didn't have weapons, and if you get stabbed and set on fire, I don't want to explain it to Erwin why this whole mission failed.” 

“We don't set on fire.” Eren murmured. 

Levi rolled his eyes; he obviously knew. “But if they are to win, I want you to get those girls out of there.” Levi told him, giving him a heavy look which Eren recognized. _He expected him to leave him behind and run if anything went wrong._

“I'm not a useless child, you know.” Eren snapped, his temper getting the best of him as he allowed his fangs to snap down as a sign of a threat. 

Levi simply gave him a small, weak smile,”I know.” He told him. “But neither are you a soldier.” He then turned and simply walked out. 

Eren tried to keep an eye on him. With Levi's small form and dark clothes, he blended into the shadows perfectly. If the vampires didn't have perfect vision, a normal human eye would not be able to spot him. 

But he managed it. He took the first vampire by surprise, an attack from the back. But when the other vampire looked back, he spotted Levi and pushed the other out of the way, making Levi's blade miss the heart and instead pierce his shoulder. A pained scream left the creature's mouth. 

Eren watched Levi move with precision and finesse, just as he saw him the first time. Except now, the hunter had his favourite weapon with him and the accuracy with which Levi spun and sank the blades into skin made them seem like an extension of his own arms. 

One of the vampires snarled again, and both the noise as well as the smell of blood rising in the air must have let others know. Before Eren knew it, a vampire lay dead on the ground having had his heart pierced with a silver blade, but two more had emerged from around the corner. Levi was right. 

Eren's hand gripped the stake hard, his nails digging into the wood. He was no soldier. This was his chance to escape. 

The girls had started struggling more against their bonds, seeing this as their opportunity to escape. 

Another pained yell from a vampire, followed by a hiss from Levi as claws caught his arm. Eren felt his own body tense; no, he would not be a coward. He would not freeze like a coward. He would not run like a coward. He was sick of being a coward. 

So he did just like Levi had told him to; he followed the order perfectly. 

Seeing Levi tried to steer the vampires away from the girls, he used the shadows as camouflage to creep up to the girls. “Calm down.” He whispered as they struggled more upon seeing him emerge from the shadows. “It's going to be fine.” He tried to comfort as he looked over the chain holding them. He looked up at Levi, who was still bravely holding off the vampires; God, Eren would never understand how strong and amazing Levi was. But that didn't change the fact that the chains were still silver. 

He closed his eyes tightly and prepared for pain as his hands closed around the metal and pulled. He allowed a hiss to leave his mouth, the girls pulling away from him cautiously. The metal broke and one of the girls scrambled to her feet, pulling at the chains of her friend's hands. She was loyal; Eren had to give her that. 

The burn was excruciating. The metal was pure, purer than any ordinary day objects Eren had touched before. He didn't realize his fangs were snapping down in a hiss until they were fully out and the other girl was looking at him in horror. 

The scream didn't stick in her throat; instead, it echoed around the tight walls.

One of the vampires reacted instantly. His eyes turned to look in their direction and widened as he spotted Eren. But Eren already broke the chain and was muttering the directions back to the girls. He wouldn't get out of this without a confrontation, but they still could. “Get them!” 

Eren stood, pushing the girls along in the right way as their feet hit the ground and left only the sounds of water splashing as they turned the corner. Eren saw one of the vampires heading for him and his eyes widened, his hand tightening around the stake, his body tensing. 

But the vampire was quickly distracted by Levi, who threw a dagger across the space and let it pierce the vampire's arm. There was a flash of fangs and a snarl before the vampire headed back for Levi, who skilfully dodged him in a spin and attacked again. It was still three against one. "Kill the hunter first!"

But Eren could escape now. Those were Levi's orders. 

_Then why wasn't he moving?_

His thoughts were interrupted by Levi's groan of agony. 

The little distraction cost him. One of the vampires had crept up on him, its fangs snapping down and piercing Levi's neck before the hunter could dodge. The smell of human blood filled the air and Eren was sure he wasn't the only one who smelt it as the other two closed in on Levi. 

_This was the end._

_And Eren was still frozen._

The bite wouldn't allow Levi to act any more. That was how it worked. He would become a simple snack to the vampires. 

And somehow, Eren couldn't allow it. 

His hand closed around the stake harder and he felt the aura in the room drop suddenly, quickly getting darker and tighter as the other vampires paused at feeling the effect. And then, he didn't think, he simply attacked. 

His main target was the vampire still latched onto Levi. Without Levi, he wouldn't be able to get through this fight. He had no training; no admirable fighting skills. 

He dodged under an attack and felt his heart speed up as he realized one of the vampires had a silver dagger of his own. 

_No._

_He would not die down here._

He let instinct take over, his fangs on full display as he snarled and charged; his body moved with the speed worthy of a vampire as he struck quickly and as precisely as he could. It had suddenly gotten colder in the room, and he registered the worried looks on the vampires' faces. 

The stake sunk into the neck of the vampire currently assaulting Levi. His fangs released immediately with a snarl of pain as he stumbled back and into a wall. Eren's eyes tracked the trail of blood flowing down Levi's neck as the hunter fell to the ground. Eren wasn't done here. 

His nails lengthening into claws, he mimicked a previous move of Levi and spun, his claws catching on the vampire's face and making him stumble to the ground with the impact. Mimicking yet another move, he swept his leg along the ground with impeccable speed and managed to throw the third vampire off balance. He straightened and his eyes bore into the first victim; the very same one who reduced the powerful hunter to a shivering mess.

He felt hate for the creature. Hunters were right; they didn't deserve to be called anything else. A human would not kidnap two innocent girls away from their worried families and friends; only an evil creature could do that. Only they would take away families from their loved ones. They deserved to die. 

_And he would kill them all._

He didn't know what happened next. His body tensed up harder, his fists clenching as a wave rolled over his body; the aura he held back and tried controlling for years finally won over and he let it roam. The vampire writhed in pain on the ground, its hands scrambling and scratching at any visible skin where the pale skin had begun sizzling like it had been touched by silver. 

Eren coughed himself, his throat suddenly burning. 

His eyes widened; it wasn't _like_ it had been touched by silver. It _had_ been touched by the pure metal. The particles were in the air, he could feel them each time he breathed in and out; he could feel them burning at his skin just not as much as they were doing to the vampire who was quickly reduced to a writhing mess on the floor. Eren could hear his heart stopping. He was dying.

_But how?_

Another snarl of pain brought his attention and he turned, watching as Levi stabbed a silver blade through one of the vampire's hearts while the other was just as much of a writhing mess as the other. It was no problem for Levi to walk over to them both and stab the silver to their hearts before he himself leaned on the wall for support, out of breath. 

Eren was still shocked over what just happened. He didn't understand it. 

The vampires lay dead. 

“What the fuck was that?” Levi spoke, breathless and visibly in pain. Eren could smell the blood from his wounds in the air and it burned his throat together with the silver still in the air. But he could tell the silver was quickly disappearing now. 

Eren then heard Levi's quick heartbeat and his eyes widened in realization. He turned, noticing the little device of Levi's smashed on the ground. 

“We have to leave.” He quickly told Levi. “If there's more, they could hear everything from the past minute.” He quickly rushed out, coming closer to Levi. 

He reached his hand out to inspect the wound on his throat but was met with Levi's silver blade,”Don't even come near my neck.” Levi growled, but his weak posture told Eren he had no more strength to fight. His body had started slipping down the wall. 

“We have to get out of here.” Eren repeated frantically. He grabbed Levi's arm and pulled urgently, having the hunter stumble behind him weakly. 

Eren made the decision without Levi's consent, but with seeing how weak and frail his body felt, Levi couldn't protest when Eren simply picked him up and put the rest of his own strength- now that the adrenaline had gone- into his movements, making sure he moved with vampire speed and could get them out of there as quick as possible. 

He knew he would get punished for holding Levi so tightly to his chest later, but right now he didn't care. 

_He had to get them both to safety._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Shoots rainbow out of my ass cause Jeanmarco- I can't, okay. I am literally grinning to myself like an idiot when I write these things. People around me think I'm insane. I find myself hilarious, okay. I'm in a sassy mood today and I think that's showing in Eren. My bad.  
> Oh, you didn't think Eren would be a special snowflake? Well, surprise, bitch. I was actually going to finish the chapter on Eren freezing to create tension and cliff hangers and all that but I couldn't wait to write this and I feel like you guys deserve some excitement in this damn story.  
> It's just a weird day overall. I don't have school for the next 3 weeks so I'm kind of happy with life. I mean, I laughed to myself for about 10 minutes straight because I made a spelling mistake. #StoryTime: I was editing the chapter while my friend sat across from me on his phone and I was writing and I was like “Oops, forgot the d.” And I looked up at him and he was giving me the creepiest grin ever, and I think I'm high on something. I didn't even drink today, though, wtf. Needless to say, I wasted half of my writing time laughing.  
> I planned out the next few chapters: next chapter you get some Ereri moments, and chapter 16 has almost physical Ereri, so expect chapter 17 or 18 to be Ereri reunited :) I plan for the story to be around 25-30 chapters. Maybe slightly over 30. Depends.  
> Thanks for all the amazing comments guys! Like, I literally read a comment and I'm like 'omg they used capital letters what is air' or 'omg they said they love me am I ready for this?'. And those aren't thoughts; they're spoken out loud and that's why people think I'm insane.  
> Oh! A story idea I posted on Tumblr was really liked, so I took to writing it in any spare time that I have. I won't pick it up regularly until after this story is finished, but I would be grateful if you guys could [read it](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1646978/chapters/3491237) and tell me what you think? Thanks ahead!  
> Once again, THANKS FOR READING AND COMMENTING AND FOR BEING THE BEST READERS EVER. You guys deserve cookies, and ice cream, and vodka, and naked Ereri in life.  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	15. Failure Is Not An Option

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren manages to get them out safely before trying to make sure Levi is fine.  
> Hanji and Armin make a discovery in the most coincidental circumstances.  
> Eren reads through his father's letters in search of clues.

After making sure they weren't seen, Eren burst through the hotel door, not worrying about the door where the hinges clearly broke under the impact of his foot. Levi was slack in his arms, muttering under his breath and cursing at Eren, in a usual Levi manner. His head, however, had lolled back to rest on Eren's shoulder, weak and pliant. 

He didn't waste time in rushing to the bathroom where he was sure a first aid kit would be; it was a safety regulation to have one in the room, after all. 

He let Levi down, letting the man lean on the counter for support, his half-lidded eyes watching Eren and his movements. Levi's body shivered continuously, and while searching for the first aid kit, Eren became even more worried once he saw his body swaying in the spot: clearly off balance. 

“You've never been bit before?” He asked quickly, trying to make some form of a conversation which would hopefully keep Levi conscious. 

“No.” Levi muttered in return. “I'm too fucking good.” He slurred. 

Eren grasped the box once he found it and straightened up, standing in front of Levi and looking down at the hunter with hesitation. He was sure Levi would be repulsed at the thought of a vampire touching him, but it's not like he was in any condition to do it himself. 

He opened the box and pressed the back of his hand to Levi's forehead, feeling the burning skin, “The venom contains anaesthetics and pheromones.” He explained, his hand coming up to slap at Levi's cheek lightly. “Stay awake.” He hissed. 

“Don't fucking hit me.” Levi made an attempt to hit Eren back but hardly managed to slap at his shoulder. 

“It stops you feeling anything physical and makes you think the wound isn't as bad as it really is because you can't feel the pain. The pheromones are there because vampires are predators; if they want something, they take it. It's for the purpose of mating.” Eren quickly pulled out the anti-bacterial liquid and applied some to a tissue before pressing it to Levi's neck, earning a hiss from him. “Just don't pop a boner on me.” 

“Not while your ugly face is right in front of me.” Levi managed to slur out which made Eren chuckle slightly. He was kind of entertaining like this. 

Eren focused on the wound again. He tried cleaning all the blood off, the smell of the said substance rising high in the air. He gained control over his claws; having them come out now would be critical. However, he didn't have enough will left in him to stop his fangs from snapping down into display. 

Levi eyed him carefully through half-lidded eyes. “Put those fucking fangs away.” He muttered, his body shivering again. He definitely lost a lot of blood. 

“I can't.” Eren hissed in reply. “It's instinctive. I smell blood, they come out.” 

Levi said nothing but simply remained silent while Eren cleaned the wound. He patched it up and took a step back, surveying the damage again. He grabbed the raven's arm, hissing slightly as he touched a silver bracelet upon his skin. He could still smell more blood. 

He looked up at Levi, his eyes connecting with the raven's. Levi narrowed his eyes slightly, something sparkling in his eyes but Eren couldn't tell what it was. Instead, he grabbed Levi's jacket and pushed it off his shoulders, his eyes instantly finding the other wounds. 

“Why didn't you run?” Levi whispered, his voice suddenly sober as his eyes bore into Eren. 

Eren took out more disinfectants and applied some to the wound, making Levi flinch before Eren was wrapping a bandage around his forearm. “It's not fair for you to die when you're saving somebody's life.” Eren replied firmly. 

“But it's okay for you?” 

“I handled myself well.” Eren shot back quickly, rolling his eyes slightly as he realized the venom must have been subsiding now. 

“I never said you didn't.” Levi muttered back. “I still don't know what the fuck you did.” He sighed, his eyebrows furrowing. “I've never seen anything like it.” The implied sentence hung in the air; Hanji would definitely be informed of this and Eren rolled his eyes as he already imagined the tests that crazy woman would want to take. 

“Does it matter?” Eren snapped in return. “You're alive, I'm alive, those girls got away.” He summarized. “Isn't that all that matters?” 

Levi's hand shot out and grabbed his own, freezing Eren in place. “Your hands.” Levi muttered with a frown. 

Eren looked down at his own injured hands, the skin having been slightly burned from the recent contact with silver. “The chains were silver.” He replied with a small shrug. 

Levi turned to the first aid kit and started rummaging through it. Once Eren realized what the hunter was doing, his eyes widened, “They're fine.” He quickly got out. “They'll heal in a few minutes.” 

But Levi didn't listen. Just because they would heal didn't seem to be a good enough excuse for the hunter. He picked out the bandages and grabbed one of Eren's hands carefully; Levi's fingers were gentle and soft, his skin still burning hot from the venom running in his system. Eren froze and watched as the hunter worked carefully on patching up the injured skin. 

Once Levi was done, he sighed and leaned back on the counter. “I need a fucking smoke.” He muttered before he was pushing past Eren and back into the room before he would undoubtedly make his way to the small balcony connected from their room. 

Eren stood there for a second. Levi actually expected him to leave when it came to it. Did he think of him so lowly? 

Eren almost growled to himself, his fangs retracting as Levi left the room. He blamed his stupid crush for this. If he didn't find Levi completely attractive and desirable, there would be no problems here. What was he doing? Levi was the bad guy here; he was ordered to stab him in the back the moment they found the journal, undoubtedly. 

Against his better judgement, he followed the hunter out to the balcony. He leaned on the railing next to Levi and turned to look at him, watching as the smoke blew out of his mouth; he even made that action look absolutely flawless. 

“I don't get you, brat.” Levi murmured, pulling back to cigarette and leaning on the railing himself. “You had a chance to escape. Your little crush really is getting out of control.” 

_It's not just a crush,_ Eren felt like saying. _Not love, it wasn't on the same scale as love._ Eren didn't even know what love felt like, then how could he compare? But Levi's presence somehow calmed him, soothed his worries and brought a smile to his face. The man could be insulting him and yet Eren still found a smile on his face. It was getting absolutely out of control. 

And Eren found himself wondering if he could change the future. Perhaps, he could persuade Levi that he would help them after they found his father's journal. Surely, having a vampire on your side could only prove beneficial? _That's what your father thought, and that got him killed._

“Are you saying I made the wrong choice?” Eren voiced his thoughts. 

“I don't know.” Levi replied honestly, taking in a deep inhale of his cigarette. “No matter what kind of options you pick, nobody will be able to tell you if they're right or wrong.” He shrugged slightly. “The only thing we can do is hope we don't regret the choice we make.” Levi's eyes scanned over Eren quickly, settling his heavy gaze on him. “Do you regret it?” 

“Of course not.” Eren was quick to say. “Should I?” 

A thought came to Eren then. Maybe the reason why Levi always remained so cold with him was because Eren was just like Petra. Eren's crush was obvious, but he was a vampire and Levi didn't return his feelings. This was history repeating itself. Eren almost scoffed at the inevitable ending to this shitty, little fairytale. 

Levi finished his cigarette and sighed into the cold, afternoon air. He turned, his whole body facing Eren as his eyes scrutinized the younger man. 

Eren didn't see it coming and if the same thing happened a hundred times more, he still wouldn't be able to predict it. 

Levi's hand clutched his shirt and pulled him down, the hunter's lips clumsily crashing into Eren's. Eren's body tensed before he understood what was happening and his body immediately reacted, his arms pulling the hunter closer and bringing their bodies together as his lips returned the kiss eagerly. He thought he heard Levi groan once their hips clashed, but he kept the small, proud smile to himself. 

The kiss was too short. 

Levi pulled away after a few seconds, his gaze settling on the ground under their feet as his tongue darted to lick at his lips, savouring the taste. “Thanks for saving my life, I guess.” He muttered, not daring to look up into Eren's fucking turquoise eyes. 

Levi then pulled away and headed inside the room. “Blame the fucking pheromones, or some shit.” He muttered as he let his body collapse into the bed. Eren leaned on the doorway and grinned as small snores started leaving the hunter's mouth. His tongue darted to savour the minty taste of Levi on his lips. 

Maybe he wasn't just like Petra. Maybe this was different 

~~*~~*~~

“So what happened?” Armin whispered to Mikasa as they walked through the hallways, side by side and escorted by Auruo in the front and two more hunters in the back. 

“I lost them.” Mikasa replied simply. 

Armin frowned, his brows furrowing in confusion, “But, you're faster than any other vampires...” He pointed out quietly. Mikasa didn't answer him, she just gave him a dismissive shrug which he understood perfectly. Annie would definitely be staying off the radar now that she knew they found out about her actions. 

When they walked into the room, a repulsive smell reached Armin and he scrunched his nose, bringing his hand up immediately to cover his nose. Mikasa didn't react. “What is that?” 

Hanji turned around, a smile plastering onto her face as she recognized them coming into the room. “Come in!” She called, nodding to the other two hunters who turned and left immediately leaving just Auruo. 

Hanji stood by a long, silver table. Armin's eyes widened as he saw somebody lie on the table and he quickly worked out that the person was dead; that's where the smell came from. On the other side of the table stood another girl; she was very tall, taller than Mikasa and had her arms crossed over her chest, staring down at the dead body without a care on her face. The dusted freckles across her skin reminded Armin of Marco, but this girl was of a darker complexion with colder eyes. 

“What happened?” Armin was quick to ask as he rushed forward but the smell of the dead body stopped him and made him freeze. 

“It's not that gruesome.” Hanji commented, spotting his expression. “We found him last night. His carotid artery was ripped apart. Doubt he felt much before he bled out to death.” Hanji murmured, an empty syringe ready in her hand as she approached the body. 

Mikasa sat in her usual seat across the room and waited. Armin, however, walked closer to the two women. “This is Ymir.” Hanji nodded at the girl across from her. “She found him.” It was obviously no surprise that the girl was a hunter; she looked perhaps a bit older than Armin with a slim body but he didn't miss the muscled physique hidden under her dark clothes.

“Are we done? Can I leave?” Ymir spoke, her tone bored and careless. Her gaze remained on the body. Armin looked down at the paperwork: _'Thomas Wagner.'_

“Sure.” Hanji replied while she collected her sample of blood and went to take it over to the microscopes. She had previously explained that seeing if there was something different in the blood of victims could help them out but they found no positive results as of yet.

Ymir left without a word, her and Mikasa staring each other down as she left the room. 

“Well, there's no set plan for today.” Hanji started, looking over to Mikasa. “Armin, take a blood sample and then Mikasa can leave.” 

“I was hoping to stay and observe today.” Mikasa spoke up. Perhaps she could find out some details to return back to Annie. Maybe that would make the other vampire happy.

Hanji seemed unconvinced for a second, then, her face lit up. “Yes! I actually need you!” Hanji quickly turned and rummaged through a pile of items. “I came up with a device some time ago which didn't let vampires use their super hearing. Then again, it wasn't too pleasant to hunters either but it works.” She shrugged slightly, a grin lighting up her lips. “Levi always complains it gives him a headache.” 

“Hanji, you're missing your point.” Armin spoke up, approaching the table with a sample of Mikasa's blood and taking a small portion to put under he microscope. 

“I tweaked the device a little bit.” Hanji returned to her point. “I thought I could get something that hurts vampires through the sounds they hear. So,” She looked over at Mikasa, her eyes narrowing as she clicked something on the new device she held in her hand. 

Armin heard nothing but Mikasa hissed and her hands flew up to her ears, her fangs snapping down as she curled in on herself and covered her ears as best she could. Still hissing in pain, she shot Hanji a glare after which Hanji immoderately turned it off. “That's amazing.” Armin commented, watching as Hanji grinned and wrote down the results.

“Could come in handy.” Hanji grinned as she put the device back. 

Mikasa eyed the device; this would be a problem if it came to a fight and the hunters had this to their disposition. “I heard from Levi.” Hanji spoke up again, and Armin understood that she really did have a hard time being quiet. “It was short since they came back from a patrol, but he said everything was fine.” 

“Did he say anything about Eren?” Armin asked quickly, frowning at the fact his best friend hadn't called him. Then again, they have texted a little bit and Hanji did make it clear they weren't supposed to be communicating at all. 

“Oh yeah.” Hanji giggled. “He was very mad about the fact Eren saved his life while they were out and about.” 

“Eren did that?” Mikasa spoke up. This wasn't supposed to be happening; if Eren saved the hunter's life, that implied there was more happening there and if feelings were going to be involved Eren would not only end up disappointed but also hurt. 

Hanji replied with a quick 'yep' and Armin nodded silently, thinking about what Hanji said. “Hey, Hanji?” He spoke up, leaning back on the counter as he turned to look at her. “What if they can't find the journal?” He asked, afraid of the answer. 

Hanji's look told him everything he feared. She tried to avoid his eyes and sighed, only then raising her gaze to meet Armin's with a sad look in her eyes. He saw it coming, but it was still a shock to have it affirmed. 

He gave a single nod and turned around quickly, hoping Hanji wouldn't see the pain in his eyes. His rapid movement caught him off balance slightly and his hand smashed into the microscope. He squeaked and quickly apologised as the blood sample spilled over and mixed with something else. 

He quickly grabbed paper towels to clean up the mess but was stopped by Hanji's hand gripping his wrist. “Wait, Armin.” She spoke quickly and he paused as he followed her gaze. 

He stared down at the mixed solution as it began sizzling together and his eyes widened. “What was this?” He asked quickly. 

Hanji's eyes looked over the table and he saw realization sparkle in her eyes. “That was Mikasa's blood, right?” She pointed over to Armin's side and he nodded in confirmation. “This is Thomas'.” She looked over the other puddle before looking over to the dead body,”Who is dead.” 

“Is there something special about him?” Mikasa asked out of nowhere, not grasping what Hanji was pointing at. 

“No.” Hanji replied quickly before turning to Armin with a grin. “I could kiss you right now, Blondie.” 

“Please don't.” Armin muttered in return as Hanji wrapped her arms around him and lifted his shorter body in a hug. For such a lean physique, she sure had a lot of strength. She placed a loud kiss on the top of his head and then turned around, grabbing for an empty syringe, a manic grin on her face. 

“We need more blood!” 

Armin watched in silence. Something told him Thomas Wagner would not even have a peaceful death.

~~*~~*~~

“I'm sure.” Levi held the phone to his ear, his eyes set on the road ahead as his other hand held onto the steering wheel. “You should probably do damage control. Those girls might blab.” He spoke again and Eren let himself look over his way. 

His skin had a bit more colour to it now that he had enough sleep. The wound on his neck was still fresh and therefore patched up but the collar of his shirt hid most of it. There was still a bandage wrapped around his forearm- Eren was quite proud of that one, honestly- and it was clearly visible where blood was still seeping now that he had his leather jacket off. 

Speaking of the leather jacket, Levi was pissed when he found out it got ripped in the process. Apparently, it was his favourite but when he threw it out and replaced it with almost the same one from his bag, Eren almost laughed.

He had picked up a blood bag from the mini fridge and tried to stay as far away from Levi as he poured the contents into a plastic cup. He didn't want Levi to see that. 

And of course, Levi said nothing about the kiss they shared on the balcony. But then again, Eren didn't expect him to. As long as he was coming around to the idea, Eren wouldn't mind keeping quiet about what happened from here on. 

“Have you even looked through the letters?” Levi grumbled next to him and Eren snapped his head over to look at him, realising he finished the phone conversation where he reported back about what they found in the tunnels. He was clearly grateful last night, but now, he was back to his usual tone like nothing happened. 

Eren rolled his eyes and reached into the glove compartment, avoiding the embarrassing items there before he grabbed a small stack of papers. He looked over at Levi who shot him an impatient look and huffed, starting to read. He was in no hurry to tear off these plasters of his past. 

He took a deep breath and started reading the first paper. 

_Eren,  
I am not sure why I am writing this. Honestly, your mother forced me to. Perhaps it is just in case our past gets caught up with us. _

He paused, his eyebrows furrowing before he continued reading. 

_By the time you read this, you should be all grown up. (Your mother is sure you will end up as a lawyer; you are always quick to defend others and you definitely talk too much.)  
Or, perhaps you will not even read this at all. If you are, then something bad must have happened. I would not get you involved under any other circumstances._

Eren smiled lightly at the memory. He did use to think he would go into law enforcement, but it was evident that the hunters worked closely with the police. His abilities would have provoked too much attention.

_You know what we are._  
But you should also know you are not like the others.  
You are special, Eren.  
Different. 

Of course he was; he was a pure blood after all. He was born a vampire, never turned. 

_I should be ashamed of what happened. But I did what I did to protect you. There are a lot of people out there who want to hurt us; they are afraid. They are afraid because I managed to find the answers._  
One of the days, you might need those answers, but writing it down would be useless. Who knows if these letters will reach you?  
But remember: the answers are never far from home. 

Eren groaned and put the letter down. He brought up his hand to run his fingers through his hair, but instead found that his eyes were watering. He quickly turned away from Levi and wiped at the building tears. He didn't expect that a bunch of words written from his dad on a piece of paper could make him so sentimental. 

“There's no shame in crying, you know.” He turned to look at Levi, but the raven wasn't looking at him when he spoke. “It's better than leaving everything to build inside, right?” He paused, his teeth biting down on his lip in contemplation. “I wish I had something from my mother.” 

Eren nodded once, figuring that was yet another little fact he found out about Levi. He put the letter down and picked up another one. 

_Eren,_  
I was always very passionate about research, you see. And every great researcher needs a journal to keep his findings in. I guess you got your passion from me, although at this age the most you are passionate about is climbing trees, especially the one where you and Armin spend the whole days.  
A lot of people would love to find the research, Eren.  
But if it gets into the wrong hands, it could prove fatal. We would all be endangered. We heal, but perhaps sometimes, a little more healing does a lot more good. 

Eren put the next letter down and picked up the third one, the last one. His eyebrows remained in a furrowed state; if there were clues here, he wasn't picking them up as much as he should. 

_Eren,_  
I guess I am not very clear. You never were good with riddles; Armin would cheat just to help you. I hope you are still friends by the time you read this.  
You should see yourself now; both of you are sitting under that old tree again, looking through yet another of Armin's books. I hope you visited the world; it was your plan, right?  


Eren looked away again. He always dreamed of visiting the world, the different cultures, different foods, different sceneries. He had always wanted to see the ocean; he and Armin made a promise to see it together when they were younger. They never got the chance, yet. 

_I hope you managed to do what you wanted in life. I would say life is too short, but that is not really the case with us. I hope you managed to find a beautiful lady to love, you would only be lucky to find one as beautiful as your mother._

Well, awkward. They were dead and it seems like he was still getting the talk. 

_But if you did not, that is fine. It is your life, Eren. Make the most of it._  
Just remember, home always holds many medicinal properties.  
Love always, your father and mother. 

Eren turned the page to see if there was any more. Nothing. He looked up at Levi, who raised his eyebrows in a silent question but said nothing. Eren turned back to look at the papers with a frown on his face. 

Were there clues here? 

_What the fuck?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this actually turned out longer than I thought.  
> I do apologize for EVERYTHING in the last chapter; reading over the notes I wrote I cringed hard, but I won't change them so people can have a laugh, I guess. I'm a bit more sane today. Also, I made loads of spelling mistakes. I have no beta reader so I go over my mistakes once I see they're posted. Sorry if you're reading through the first draft, I guess.  
> Also, happy birthday to [cilel](http://cilel.tumblr.com/)on tumblr (since I'm a shit person and I don't know the ao3 name here). Definitely a person who is always involved, and sending me messages about the story and replying and everything; always makes me smile. So, happy birthday, sweetie.  
> I have no weirdness to speak of today.  
> I have an exam on Thursday, so next update hopefully coming Friday. If I'm alive after the Supernatural season finale, that is.  
> I'm really glad you guys liked the last chapter so much! Honestly, it is definitely one of my favorites. And, if the plan happens, there should be **some** smut in the next chapter. Or there might not. Don't want to lie to you guys; still not sure about it.  
>  Did any of you pick up on the clues? ;) I am a shit person at riddles so I decided not to create one. I am Eren, basically. I tried to hint subtly through the research I did, but I don't think it worked well.  
> And omg guys I can't even like this story reached 50k words, that's basically a novel holy shit  
> Also, raise your hand if you like Levi on anesthetics. I laughed more than I probably should have.  
> Thanks you for the continued support and all the amazing comments! Keep this up! Hope you liked the little Ereri in this chapter ;)  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	16. Catch You If You Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gets a new memory to ponder.   
> Hanji tells Armin what happens from here and then proceeds to join Eren and Levi.  
> Levi gets pissed at Eren acting out of character.

_Eren unbuttoned his shirt slowly, twisting each button with his thumb and third finger. When Levi's shirt finally fell open, he studied the narrow body carved with muscles from extensive training, running his finger along the hunter's prominent collar bone before heading lower. His head moved up, his lips wrapping around the unpierced nipple. He sucked hard, triumph mingling with soaring lust when he felt Levi's body shudder in his embrace._

_His arms wrapped around the smaller waist and pulled, Levi going along with the movement, falling forward to straddle Eren's hips on the bed. Eren's grip tightened, holding the hunter captive against him. His shirt was shoved off his shoulders and Eren moaned as Levi rolled his hips over Eren's already hard dick._

_Eren's arms wrapped around Levi, pulling him to the other, hard and fast, gripping the back of his head, kissing him like his life depended on it; fervor, fury and fire all in the kiss. Levi's fingers pulled on Eren's roots painfully, but he didn't care. He needed the hunter, for whatever reason, at this point in time, and he was definitely not about to stop._

_Levi's hips continued their torturous movement, his ass moving over Eren's dick as breathy moans left the hunter's mouth, his hands gripping Eren tighter. It wasn't enough._

_Eren's hands moved, quicker than ever, grabbing at Levi's ass before he flipped them over, taking control. Before Levi knew it, Eren had both of his hands in a tenacious grip above his head, pinning him to the bed using his lips, his tongue forcing his mouth open before taking full control of the furious kiss. His tongue stroked the others' tentatively, joining in a slow, erotic dance._

_Levi's deep, entertained chuckle went straight to his dick. “I think you're forgetting yourself, brat.” He lurched up, his legs wrapping around Eren's waist to change their positions, but Eren held his ground and pressed Levi's hands back to the bed, his strength overpowering the other._

_“Is that a threat?” He murmured, his voice deep and gravelly. He rolled his hips down, pressing their erections together and Levi moaned under him, his own hips thrusting up. Teeth bared in a feral smile, Eren did it again. Then again. And again._

_Levi relaxed under him, all liquid and pleasured and boneless, his legs spreading on either side of Eren's body. Eren's mouth quirked up; that's what he wanted to see. He rolled his hips again, his own breath hitching at the sensation running down his spine. This time a moan tore through his chest and he shook all over; this wasn't enough._

_He leaned down, his body trapping Levi to the bed. He turned his face into the hunter's neck, murmuring into his ear,”I should make you beg.” An intimate demand._

_Levi remained quiet, whining as Eren's hips rolled again and again in a cruel routine. He thrust up his hips, trying to relief some of the pressure as his erection strained against his jeans. His lips pursed,”Please, Eren.”_

_With the feral grin still on his face, Eren's mouth moved against the others' ear, hot breath hitting skin, “Gladly.” His lips clashed into Levi's again, his tongue exploring thoroughly as his hand snaked down, his fingers popping the button on the hunter's jeans before lowering the zip. He pulled away and looked down at Levi, his face deadly and his fangs on show, his eyes set on the smooth skin of Levi's neck. Mark him, show everybody that Levi was his._

_“Eren.” Levi's body arched up as Eren's hand snuck under the waist band of his boxers. Lazily, Eren kissed him before reaching down further to grip his turgid arousal with strong, knowing fingers. Levi moaned again,”Eren.”_

“Eren.” 

His eyes snapped open and he sat up, his eyes wild as he scanned his surroundings and realized they had quickly changed. Levi stood by the bathroom doorway, observing him with an unreadable expression while he brushed his teeth. 

“Get up. We should get a move on.” Levi spoke around the toothbrush and then turned, but right before closing the door, his head turned slightly and Eren managed to see the corner of a smirk upon his lips. “Sounded like a good dream.” 

As the door closed, Eren groaned and let his head fall into his hands with embarrassment as he felt his painfully hard erection tenting his pants. 

He should have known it was a dream. Levi would never wear a button-down shirt.

~~*~~*~~

“Already?” Armin's eyes widened at the simplicity of Hanji's declaration. “It's only been 4 days!” He exclaimed, his hands clasping together and his thumbs twiddling slightly. “And we've only discovered something yesterday!” He added in a stutter as he watched Hanji look around the room before grabbing yet another item and shoving it into her bag. 

“I showed you everything we know.” Hanji declared, grinning as she packed some rather colorful clothes into the bag. “You're not going to be alone. Hannah and Nanaba had been assigned to help you with research while Auruo and Ymir are assigned to be your body guards.” Armin felt like scoffing in disbelief; bodyguards, more like watchers.

“Does Levi know?” Armin asked her instead, watching her carefully. “Did something happen? Is that making you leave?” His figure straightened up instantly in fear of harm coming to Eren. 

“Erwin fully believes in your abilities, Blondie.” Hanji gave him a reassuring smile. “Everything's fine. They're on the road and by the time I get there, they're going to be signing into yet another hotel. Christmas Eve is the day after tomorrow; can't let them spend it alone.” She grinned devilishly and Armin wondered what she had planned. Christmas sure had snuck up on them. 

“I don't suppose I can leave for the holidays?” Armin murmured instead. 

“Sweetie,” Hanji's voice softened as she looked at him with apologetic eyes. “I'm just following orders. I have to make Levi knows of what we found. It could come very useful.” She paused for a second. “And you're needed here. We need to know what those vampires are planning.” Of course, they expected Annie to approach him at some point; Hanji had been surprised when both Mikasa and Armin told her neither of them were approached by the rogue vampires.

Hanji inspected the few blood vials she was about to pack. “Try to understand, Armin,” She started, turning back to look at him. “We're trying to get as little hunters involved as possible. Commander Erwin is keeping it on the low; if others knew about Eren and his connection to the organization, they could all have different ways to resolve the problems.” She sighed. “Commander Dawk is involved only to the point that he has to. He wants Eren dead. Commander Pixis I'm not sure about; I'm sure they would want to use Eren further.” 

“And all of you?” Armin challenged quietly, his eyes rising up to look at Hanji. He was clever enough to inspect that as involved as Hanji was in the organization, she was not trusted with everything. Multiple discussion with Eren had told him as much. 

“Erwin is a strategist. I'm sure he can see the advantages of working with vampires.” She declared. 

“I'm sure hunters two thousand years ago saw them too,” Armin pointed out. “But they still wanted Eren's family dead.” 

“It's not the same.” Hanji's voice had quietened. 

But Armin couldn't help but think it was. In the end, Hanji wasn't a reliable source to try and get Erwin's decisions out of. He struck Armin as an independent leader, a skilled strategist and powerful character; the type of person who would entrust his plans only into the closest. 

“Have a safe trip, Hanji.” Armin told her, wondering how she would get all the weapons and devices through airport security; then again, it seemed hunters had connections everywhere. “And Merry Christmas, I guess.” He opened the door and made sure to close it carefully behind him. 

“Merry Christmas, to you too, Armin.” Hanji replied, her voice quiet in the shock of Armin's silent accusations. She knew the kid still didn't trust them; was he expected to, anyway? She wouldn't blame him. 

She zipped up her bag. After all, in the end, she wasn't able to guarantee Eren's safety. 

~~*~~*~~

“You've been pretty quiet today.” Levi inhaled more of his cigarette, the smoke blowing from the corners of his lips and his nose. They stood on the rooftop of a hotel; the hotel had a strict no smoking policy and in a rush for a smoke Levi had somehow dragged them up here. “You read the letters.” He spoke again. “Any clues?” 

“They mean nothing to me.” Eren replied simply, his thoughts still filled with his dream. This had to stop right now. 

Levi watched him from the corner of his eye, steadily taking in yet another inhale before breathing out the smoke. “Hanji is supposed to be coming.” Levi declared which made Eren perk up. 

“It's hardly been a few days.” He pointed out quickly. 

“True.” Levi agreed. “But it's Christmas soon, and I'm sure you're getting bored with my company.” He chuckled. “I'm not the nicest person to be around, brat.” 

“That's not true.” Eren murmured. Levi gave him a short glance, but said nothing in return. Eren decided to switch the topic, then, afraid he would say something which gave away the amount of desire which crawled under his skin. “Your birthday is coming up.” 

Levi sneered in the silent night, not answering to Eren's change of topic. “So?” He walked closer to the ledge, looking down at the busy streets beneath them. God, he hated large cities. He flicked his finished cigarette into the darkness. 

“I never got the chance to get you anything.” Eren pointed out. Neither did he have a gift for Levi's birthday nor a Christmas present; same with Hanji. 

Levi's lips turned up in a smirk. “Well, there's always birthday sex.” 

Eren felt his skin flushing red as the memories flooded back, but he hoped Levi wouldn't be able to see in the darkness. Instead, he focused on Levi's position. “Don't get too close.” He murmured as a warning. 

Levi grinned teasingly at the warning coming from the vampire. He hopped up onto the ledge and looked straight at Eren. “Why?” He shrugged. “I'm sure your unhealthy obsession with me makes you obligated to catch me, even if you died.” There was teasing in his tone, but Eren also detected some bitterness. It seemed Levi didn't like living with the fact Eren saved his life. 

He couldn't deny the facts. If Levi was to slip, there was no doubt in his mind, he would dive right after the hunter. “I wouldn't die.” Eren pointed out with a shrug. “Not from the fall. You, however, as a fragile human, definitely would.” 

Levi's mouth set into a hard line. He didn't like having pointed out just how fragile his human body really could be; he wanted to be invincible, and to Eren, he was. But even heroes have weaknesses. 

“I don't care much for birthdays.” Levi spoke instead, looking out into the dark sky from his position on the ledge. From here, he looked like a dark, avenging angel ready to swoop down and open his black wings in the chilly, night air. 

But Eren was determined to change his mind. A birthday was there to be celebrated, after all. 

The ride back down in the elevator was quiet, and if Eren dared to say, slightly awkward. He couldn't blame Levi for that. The aura around Eren changed as he remembered the way he had dominated Levi in his dream and his brain had quickly started on imagining the same situation happening in the elevator. 

Before they managed to get into the hotel room, Levi slammed his hand into the wall, effectively stopping Eren from continuing walking. “What the fuck is wrong with you today?” He growled, clearly frustrated with Eren being so silent. “Where the fuck is the loud, obnoxious, wide-eyed kid from yesterday?” 

Eren didn't answer him at first, but then, his mind started working over the reasons why he was actually upset. “Do you think,” He started,”-that life is worth living if you're not living yourself? Is there a point in living as an emotionless zombie, when you can't truly be yourself?” He paused. “Maybe death would come easier.” Where has all this come from? Wasn't he just annoyed that he didn't get to fuck with Levi? But in a sense, that desire was a part of him, and not being allowed to act on it was going against his natural instinct to be himself.

The question seemed to catch Levi off guard. “I don't know.” He answered honestly. Eren didn't miss how his eyes seemed to scan over Eren's face carefully with their current close proximity. “I don't tend to ponder on the meaning of life. Living should be a blessing enough. There's a shitload of people who are dead, and I can assure you that's not what they wanted.” 

Eren knew that. His parents were a part of these people.

But then, Levi was smirking, his head moving closer as his lips moved by Eren's ear. “Is this about your little dream?” He whispered, his hot breath making Eren shudder and remind him of the same dream again. “Because you moaned my name pretty loud in your sleep.” 

Eren's hand had come up instinctively, about to wrap itself in Levi's silky hair when a screech sounded down the hallway, followed by a thud. 

They both looked up quickly. “Ravioli!” Levi didn't need to see the face to know the annoying voice. 

He rolled his eyes and turned to face Hanji. “How the fuck did you get here so quickly?” He murmured, finally shoving the key card into the door and opening it, letting the other two figures in. 

“It's good to see you, Eren.” Hanji wrapped him in a tight hug, which told Eren there was something meaningful behind. Hanji stopped down the room with her bag, her hand settling on her lip as she settled her eyes on Levi. “I got a plane.” She said obviously. 

Eren's eyes widened. “Why couldn't we get a plane?” Eren whined. 

“Because we have to make stops along the way.” Levi replied firmly, already getting to cleaning the mess Hanji was starting to make while she unpacked. “And I don't like heights.” Levi murmured in addition.

“Because you're so used to being close to the ground?” The tease left Eren's mouth before he could stop it and within a second there was a pillow flying at his face. Hanji exclaimed a 'burn!' and was quickly silenced with a pillow to the face as well. Eren started to wonder whether Levi had been afraid up on the roof before. 

“Now, I have some exciting things to show you guys!” Hanji exclaimed, already having set out half of her equipment around the bed. 

“You and us both.” Levi murmured, crossing his arms as he stared at the mess. Eren was sure that the investigation on his secret abilities would begin here. 

But at the back of his mind another thought pondered. Levi clearly knew what Eren dreamt about; why had he not confronted him about it? Surely, this was something that Levi didn't want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I wanted to write more smut, but I wasn't drunk. This isn't even proper smut. This is like the first time I would be writing smut, so I pretty much blush every time I write 'dick.' It's weird. But I hope this satisfies you until the real thing ;) Oh, Eren and his little fantasies of being a top; not sure if that will happen in real life, sweetie ;) But biting, deffo. I only now realized how long a detailed smut scene will be in the future.   
> Shout out to my boyfriend who has to put up with me always stopping halfway through a kiss just to go,”Do you think tentatively is a good word to describe this?” It's a wonder he sticks around tbh.  
> Also, I realized time is very fucked up in this story, but just hang in there with me.  
> So, next update should hopefully be coming Sunday. I still got like over 2 weeks free so I'm gonna try to write as much as I can. I have like half a chapter written for 'Betrayal' (If any of you read that) but I don't think I will post anything before I finish this story.   
> AND I FINALLY came up with an ending for this story that I think is suitable and a little more believable. I hope it's not gonna disappoint you guys :)  
> Thanks for reading!  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	17. Skeleton In The Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanji tries to understand what Eren did back in Stohess.   
> Armin finds something he didn't expect when he goes to see Erwin.   
> Hanji has a serious talk with Levi.

“Now, let's start at the beginning.” Eren leaned back in the chair, his head flopping down on the headrest with boredom. Surely, this went on for an hour at least, now. 

Hanji sat in a chair opposite of him, her legs crossed one over the other, her wide eyes staring at him excitedly and a little notepad on her lap while one of her hands played with the pen in her hand. One look told him she had taken plenty of notes already. “Hanji...” He whined, his bones already turning stiff and needing a good stretch. 

“Come on, Eren!” Hanji exclaimed. “Just once more! I need to make sure I didn't leave anything out. Start from the beginning.” 

"In the letters, my father mentioned that I'm different. He said that he should have been ashamed of his actions..." Eren sighed, painfully coming to a conclusion. "I think he must have experimented something on me. As a doctor and researcher, he couldn't pass up an opportunity to experiment with a pure blood vampire. I don't even think my mother knew." He paused, moistening his lips at the horrible truth."I think it's something to do with my aura. It was always hard to control, but I learned to make sure hunters wouldn't have a clue about what I was." He continued, his mind slowly trying to tear apart the letter for the little details. 

"The very same aura which makes sure everything around you die." Hanji made sure, her eyes once again looking after the dying flowers in a vase across the room.

"Right." Eren agreed. "I don't know what happened. I tried to fight them, and one of them was still latched onto Levi, but ultimately, they were stronger. " He paused, ashamed of his actions. "Then I lost control." This conversation was becoming a bit too alike a similar scene, he saw in a vampire movie once: Interview With The Vampire. Brad Pitt definitely worked the vampire look. 

"You sound disappointed." Hanji pointed out.

"Watch out, I might think you're an actual therapist and tell you all about my deepest and darkest secrets." Eren replied, keeping his tone blank. 

Hanji rolled her eyes, "A comeback worthy of Levi. You spend too much time with him." Hanji laughed lightly.

"I was disappointed." Eren admitted instead. "You don't understand: for the past few years I took pride in having self-control. As a child, I was impulsive and had horrible anger issues. Losing control meant taking a few steps back." Eren tried to reminisce back to the event. "And then, they were on the floor and they looked like they were choking." His gaze lifted to look Hanji in the eyes. "There was silver in the air. It choked them. It even choked me." He paused and shook his head. "That's not possible. The silver couldn't just appear out of nowhere."

Hanji nodded in agreement. "That little, nifty skill of yours," she paused,"Does it allow you to manipulate things?" 

Eren sneered,"What? Like telekinesis? Of course not!" His eyebrows furrowed as his mind revolved around the event. "It never happened before."

"So you were mad. And ultimately, you lost control." Hanji recalled. "What was your goal?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Eren replied. "Levi was dying." He didn't mention how he heard the hunter's heartbeat slow down critically.

"Have you ever been in a similar situation? Where somebody close to you was endangered?"

Eren shook his head,"No."

Hanji nodded, writing something down and then closing her notebook. "Were you injured?"

Eren nodded slowly,"Yeah." His hands had been burnt by the silver.

Hanji smiled at that. "I want you to try and do it." She told him. "Try to think how you felt then."

Eren stared at her blankly for a few seconds, trying to decide whether she was serious. When she remained staring at him, wide-eyed and completely excited, he huffed and stood up. 

He looked around the room slowly. His gaze focused on the flowers. If he let go of the aura, perhaps he would see them die further. It seemed Hanji thought of the same thing, as her gaze leveled on the flowers as well. 

Eren closed his eyes for a second, evening out his breaths. He thought back to that night; Levi dying right in front of him and him uselessly standing there, doing nothing. He opened his eyes, watching as the flowers withered further as he unleashed the dark atmosphere which always hung around him. 

The flowers died, but nothing further happened. He waved his hand in the air, even took a huge breath in but there was clearly no silver in the air. He turned to look at Hanji with a frown. “It's not working.” 

She nodded, a thoughtful look crossing her face right. “Maybe it's about the adrenaline.” She shot up from her seat, a grin spreading on her face. “You said you were injured, right? That definitely triggered adrenaline.” Her eyes widened as she reached into her back pocket and returned with a silver, flip pocket knife. 

Eren's eyes widened at her intentions and just as he was about to protest, the door opened and another voice joined in. “I really hope I'm confused and you weren't just about to mutilate the kid, four eyes.” Levi dropped his bag by the bed and turned to look at Hanji, who huffed a laugh out and put the knife back in her pocket, mumbling an 'of course not.'

Eren eyed Levi in his usual outfit, the combat boots looking strangely out of place and yet perfectly ideal with his body. He also quickly noticed the deeper than usual frown on his face. “What's up?” He changed the subject. 

“Those fucking pigs know.” Levi growled, rummaging through his bag. “They know we're going to Shiganshina. Nile fucking Dawk must have found out somehow. They know we have Eren with us and I am perfectly fucking sure they will make their move at some point.”

Eren furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Surely, Levi didn't mean 'move' as in- “They wouldn't go that far, Levi. Commander Dawk knows how important this is. Erwin assured me all of this was safe.” 

“Tell that to fucking Woerman.” Levi growled in return, his hand grabbing his silver blade which made Eren flinch slightly. Levi eyed him before slowly bringing the weapon down and starting to polish it, assuring Eren it would not come near him. “I had his little dog trailing me all day.” 

“Commander Woerman is involved now?” Hanji huffed, taking off her glasses and cleaning them. “This is not good. And if Hitch was following you around then there is a possibility they-” 

“I know.” Levi interrupted her with a snap. “We have to be careful they don't follow. I don't want her near us; she pisses me off.” Levi leveled Eren with his gaze, then,”And I have a feeling she won't like Eren, either.” 

At this point, Eren felt like he wasn't in the room anymore. He had no idea what they were talking about, but he figured it wasn't good. “It would be easier to get a plane, Levi.” Hanji commented, her eyes pleading him. “Can't you manage?” Hanji smirked, then as something crossed her mind,”I'm sure Eren can comfort you.” 

But strangely, Eren thought about it. If Levi's fear of heights was this bad, then why didn't Eren see the symptoms up on the roof? Levi was literally standing a foot away from the ledge; a strong gust of wind could have probably been his death. So there were two possible reasons for this: either Levi's fear wasn't as bad as he let on, or he truly trusted Eren to catch him if he were to fall. Eren couldn't help the warmth spreading across his chest at the second suggestion; could Levi really trust him that much?

Levi rolled his eyes in a reply. He reached back into his bag and took out a newspaper before throwing it to Hanji. “A family found murdered just outside of town. Fucking animal attack. Throats ripped out and blood drained.” He chuckled, but the chuckle was cold and emotionless,”Animal attack, my ass.” 

“Let me get this clear,” Hanji cleared her throat, looking down at the newspaper. “We're taking the long way because you want to kill some vampires?” 

“I agree.” 

They both turned to look at Eren in shock. As a vampire, shouldn't he have been against this? “What?” 

“If they kill innocent people, they deserve to die.” Eren stated, his mind flashing back to the vampires who kidnapped those teenagers. “Who says they won't kill again?” These kinds of filthy monsters didn't deserve to live. 

Levi's eyes remained on him, holding some form of respect for the vampire. Eren couldn't help but feel proud. Levi's gaze left him and he nodded once. “I'm with the brat.” He commented before returning to cleaning his blade. 

Hanji could do nothing but agree with the two psychopaths. 

~~*~~*~~

Hanji had left the day before and all Armin got in reply was a short, measly text saying everything was well. This wasn't fair; he should at least be able to talk to his best friend. He could always help! So, when he got no more replies from Hanji, Armin decided to take the situation into his own hands and marched to Erwin's office, with Ymir following closely behind him. 

“You do realize you're making a big deal out of nothing, right?” She spoke slowly and lazily, rolling her eyes as she looked around the corridors they were walking. Auruo had been assigned to watch him too, but half way through his horrible rant about killing vampires, he bit his tongue and Hannah was left to tend to the bleeding mess. 

“I can help them.” Armin argued back. There had to be some way he could help other than sitting around here and trying more research. 

“All people think that.” Ymir replied. “But in the end, trust me, it's better to try and keep out of all of this.” 

“I didn't take you for the wise type of person.” Armin commented easily which made the freckled girl glare at him. “You sound like you're speaking from experience, is all.” He added quickly with a shrug. 

Ymir nodded slowly in agreement. “This kind of job doesn't let you do certain things.” She explained. “You never want to endanger people. The people you wish you could keep close, you can't.” 

Armin smiled lightly,”So, who's that person for you?” It was clear Ymir was perfectly enamored by somebody. 

Ymir shook her head in reply,”Fat chance of me telling you, shortie.” She sneered. “I don't go around telling people about my love life.” She then paused, a small smile growing on her lips as she turned away to look at a wall. “She's a Photography student here.” 

Armin smiled; perhaps Ymir wasn't so bad. “That's cute.” He commented. They reached Erwin's office and upon exchanging one last look with Ymir, he knocked on the door. When he got no reply, he turned to look at Ymir with a frown. The girl just shrugged in reply. Armin decided to take the chance and open the door anyway. 

Ymir had decided to stay outside, just in case Erwin was in his office. However, when Armin closed the door behind him and looked up, the room was empty. 

He was about to turn around and leave when something caught his eye. There stood an open box by his desk, and unlike any other time Armin saw Erwin's room, it was out of place and there were thick books scattered around it. It must have been important if Erwin left in a hurry without even cleaning it. 

Armin debated going further into the room, but what if Erwin caught him? As much as the Commander seemed to like him, or as Hanji claimed he did, Armin was perfectly sure snooping through his things was unforgivable. 

Then why were his feet moving towards the books?

He looked back at the door once as he reached the clutter. There didn't seem to be anybody coming and since he didn't come out, Ymir must have thought Erwin was in. 

Once he picked up one of the books, he quickly realized they were bound in leather and looked pretty old. They seemed to be more like journals, than actual books. Upon opening one, his eyes widened at the words written in ink and not a modern ballpoint pen. Those books didn't just look old; they were old!

_Yalkell District, 846_

_This organization is turning weak. It seems, we are now working with vampires. It is completely repulsive and unnatural._

_They all believe Grisha Jaeger is a blessing. His research with vampyrism is supposed to be pulling us forward and giving us an advantage over those filthy creatures, but all his findings so far have not been about finding ways to kill them, but finding ways in which we are similar. He dares to compare us to those monsters._

_I am not the only person to think he is a threat to the organization. We have never worked with vampires before and we survived just fine. The plan is set. The organization is better off without him._

_If it all goes through, Grisha Jaeger will soon be dead, and this corruption he left behind will all be gone._

_Arden Smith_

Armin's eyes widened as he flipped through the pages quickly but carefully. They were all signed by the same person: Arden Smith. These journals were really old, and by the name of the person they belonged to and the simple fact they were in Commander Smith's office, Armin quickly came to the conclusion that the two people were related. 

So, Erwin's past relatives have also been involved in the hunter organization, even as far as the beginning of it. And from what he had read, they were the ones who found Eren's father a threat; they were the ones that sent hunters to kill him. 

The journal dropped out of his hands as the thought struck Armin. 

He immediately hurried to the door and pulled it open, rushing out of the room. “How did it go?” Ymir raised an eyebrows at him. He gave her a quick 'fine' before explaining he had to head home. She nodded in agreement and said she would walk him to his car. 

As he got into his car, the thoughts continued swirling in his head. He only hoped Erwin was nothing like his relatives, because if he was then it would mean he would definitely not work with a vampire; and that meant _he wanted Eren dead._

~~*~~*~~

“You're going alone?” The words left Eren with some sort of disappointment. 

“Do you have a better idea?” Levi asked instead, settling down his things by the single bed. Of course, even with Hanji here, they didn't get more than one room. Instead, while they usually got two single beds, they now got a double and a single. Eren dreaded the fact he would probably have to sleep with Hanji. 

“What if you get hurt?” 

“It's not my first patrol, Jaeger.” Levi snapped, almost offended at the worry. “And you're acting like an overprotective girlfriend, so stop it right now.” Hanji walked into the room just to hear the sentence and snorted with laughter as she set her bags down. “Shouldn't you be working out where we're going?” Levi added. 

“I tried.” Eren whined. “I don't get it!” He reached into a pocket on his bag and brought out the letter, handing it over to Levi. 

Levi's eyes scanned over the words, softening for a second. Eren thought he must have been thinking about his own family. “You're so fucking dumb, Jaeger.” Levi handed the letter back. “Only an idiot couldn't see the constant repetition of 'tree.' So you better get down to it and figure out why the fuck your father is going on about a fucking tree.” 

Eren stared at the letter, the words now popping out at him. He looked up but didn't meet Levi's gaze. He really did seem dumb now for not seeing the clues. 

“I'll be back around midnight.” Levi only spoke before getting up, his weapons stashed perfectly in place at his belt as the combat boots knocked loudly against the expensive floors of yet another hotel along the way. Before he left, though, Hanji had grabbed his arm in a hurry. 

He turned to her with a growl ready at his lips, but once he saw the serious look in her eyes, he stopped. She motioned her head to the door and he nodded before he followed her out into the hallway, leaving Eren alone in the hotel room. 

Once they stood outside, Hanji reached into her pocket and brought out a silencing device, the same one Levi had used in the sewers in Stohess. It made sure Eren wouldn't hear them, which instantly worried Levi slightly if this was such a secret conversation. 

“Levi, what did you do?” 

The question confused him. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I don't know if you haven't realized, but that kid in there is completely in love with you, and I want to know what you're holding over him to make him act like that.” She sounded completely serious and yet the accusation was completely ridiculous. 

“Because it's completely impossible that he might like my charming and gentle personality?” He teased instead once he realized how ludicrous she was being. 

“Levi.” She warned. 

“Nothing, four eyes!” He exclaimed, instead. “The brat has a crush, what the hell am I supposed to do about it?” 

“You're encouraging him!” She replied. “You're making it look like he has a chance! And I'm all for you guys driving away together into the sunset, but this is unhealthy! He is clearly ready to endanger his life in exchange for yours!” 

“Well, I'm sorry.” Levi's voice had calmed down. “I'm sorry that I met him before I knew what he was and actually allowed myself to start liking him. I can't fucking control it.” Hanji's face softened as she understood that the affection in their relationship was not one-sided from Eren, but it was reciprocated. Levi continued, “It's probably some fucked up case of Stockholm Syndrome, but I can't help it. He has wet dreams about me for fuck's sake! How is that supposed to discourage me?” 

Hanji remained quiet for a second. “So, if he wasn't a vampire and you weren't supposed to kill him...” She trailed off and looked up at him. 

“Yeah, I would totally bone him.” Levi shrugged like it was no big deal. “Hell, I'd even take him on a date. Whatever.” 

Hanji sighed again, fidgeting slightly, “You know I would never tell Erwin, if something were to happen.” She told him quietly. 

“If you're suggesting I hook up with a vampire-” Levi started before Hanji waved her hands to quieten him down. 

“I'm just saying,” She paused and smiled. “If that's really what this is, then it's completely adorable.” She grinned. 

“It's not going to be adorable when I have to put a blade through his chest once we find the journal.” 

Hanji bit on her lip and Levi immediately saw the mischievous spark in her eyes. “What if you didn't?” 

Levi rolled his eyes. “It's an order, Hanji.” He grew tired of repeating this to everybody. It seemed not everybody took authority as seriously as he did. “An order is an order.” 

“Just like Petra?” 

“This isn't the same.” Levi growled instantly, his fists clenching. “And what then? Betray all of the hunters just because I have a crush? That would be selfish and completely stupid.” 

“It's fine to be a little selfish, from time to time, Levi.” Hanji commented softly. “Just... You don't always have to follow orders. Do what you believe is right.” 

“This is beginning to sound like that really awkward I-know-you're-gay talk.” Levi commented in return with a roll of his eyes. “It's complicated, four eyes. Just leave it at that.” His voice sounded tired now, and Hanji understood he truly was confused about what to do. 

“Alright.” She agreed. “Be careful, Levi.” 

Levi nodded in response, ”Don't overdo it with the brat.” He warned and then turned around, walking down the hallway towards the elevator. Hanji smiled at his back before returning to the room, to a confused Eren. 

But she trusted Levi to make his own decisions. She smirked at the thought; after this conversation, she had a vague idea what he would choose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm sorry for the late update. I had some form of a writer's block, but not really. I have the plot perfectly planned out, but I just couldn't manage to get it written down, you get me? I hope that makes sense.  
> So, here you have Levi admits that he does fancy Eren back. I'm trying to build their relationship to show feelings, not just physical desire. I realize the story is lacking it a bit.  
> If there's anything that ever gets you confused, don't be afraid to message me on [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)  
> Thank you guys for the continuous support and the kudos and the amazing comments. We reached 8K hits!   
> Not sure when the next chapter is coming. Still having trouble to find inspiration to write. Hopefully the next chapter should be up by Saturday. Sorry!  
> I also kind of messed up. I put Rico under Erwin, when she is an elite member of the garrison and should be under Pixis. Then I put Hitch, who is in the MP, under Woerman who is a captain in the garrison. That's cause I really like Rico and Hitch is a total bitch, so I needed her to be the bad guy. Same with Woerman. And partly, due to the fact that I need more hunters and I'm running out of characters who aren't dead. Thanks for that, Hajime Isayama.  
> Thanks for reading again, guys!
> 
> P.S- The voice actor for Levi in the SNK English Dub is going to be the death of me. I think his voice is just perfect omg


	18. Christmas Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanji tries to get the boys into the Christmas spirit.   
> Armin and Marco find some gaps that don't make sense.  
> Hitch catches up with Levi.   
> The trio spends Christmas Eve together.

“So, what do you guys want to do tonight? It's Christmas Eve!” Hanji clapped her hands excitedly, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet. 

Levi murmured something under his breath, pushing his head under the pillow to block out Hanji's constant talking. Eren sat up in the other bed and laughed at the hunter, receiving a pillow thrown at his face in the next second. He shot Levi a teasing glare but got flipped off with the middle finger. Damn, he really wasn't a morning person. 

“Have you found out anything about that freaky little talent?” Levi murmured, apparently addressing the question at Hanji. 

“We couldn't get a repeat of it, no matter how much we tried.” Hanji sighed and Eren raised his eyebrows at the use of first person; last time he checked, it was him doing all the work and straining himself. 

“Obviously.” Levi sneered, sitting up in the bed and letting the covers fall down to his hips. Eren's eyes widened at all the revealed new skin. His eyes immediately moved to the alluring piercing, his throat working over a gulp. “The room smells of death.” He turned to look at Eren then, his gaze catching the others'. Eren felt the blood rushing up to his cheeks in a blush at being caught staring. 

“Whatever.” Hanji waved him off. “What are the plans for tonight? You guys are gonna love your presents!” Hanji squealed but then followed with a frown. “I'm gonna miss Erwin's cooking though.” 

Eren's eyes widened. “You guys spent Christmas all together?” His gaze looked over to Levi, trying to make his gaze look normal instead of accusatory. 

Levi shrugged like it was no big deal. “It's that or being alone.” He murmured. “And I do appreciate a home cooked meal, granted, it was made in appropriate conditions.”

Eren turned to look away, his eyebrows furrowing. This was completely ridiculous; in his head, he was telling himself he was a much better cook than Erwin Smith. Heck, sure, Eren was never academically talented and even lacked the discipline for sports but cooking was something he knew perfectly well he was great at. He let his body fall back into the pillows; this train of thought was pathetic. He actually wanted to impress Levi. 

“Well, if we get a penthouse tonight, we might get a kitchen with it.” Hanji pointed out, coming out of the bathroom with a toothbrush between her teeth. 

“No.” Levi immediately protested. “Your cooking sucks, and you make the biggest mess.” He rolled his eyes and turned to get out of bed, his feet hitting the ground. Eren turned his head from the pillow to watch Levi's inked back, watching the muscles flex under the amazing tattoo. 

“I could cook.” Eren volunteered silently. An even longer silence followed. 

Hanji's squeal broke the silence,”You can cook?” She exclaimed, her eyes widening. 

“I'm not too bad.” He shrugged like it was no big deal. He didn't want to seem like he was being arrogant. 

In turn, Hanji turned to look at Levi with a pleading look. “Please, Levi!” Her hands formed into a begging gesture, her eyes widening further in what Eren thought was a pretty good puppy face. 

Apparently, it didn't work on Levi. “No.” He replied simply. “The last thing I need when I get back from a patrol is to clean up the mess the brat made in the kitchen.” 

“I won't make a mess.” Eren promised, sitting up again. “I promise.” He added, now motivated to show them what he could do. 

Levi eyed him carefully, and Eren swore his eyes might have remained on Eren's bare chest for a bit too long before turning away. “Fine.” He huffed. “But if you make a mess, Jaeger, I swear to God-” 

“I won't.” Eren rolled his eyes at the familiar threat. This wasn't just about impressing Levi though; it was Christmas for god's sake, it was only fair he contributed for once. They usually went to Armin's grandfather for Christmas, which meant that Eren usually received awkward gifts from the old man and did nothing to contribute to the holiday, except wearing an ugly Christmas sweater. 

“Great!” Hanji clapped her hands, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she turned to Levi. “We can get the food along the way and then your boyfriend can cook it. Perfect.” 

She must have expected Levi's reaction because as the hunter leaped forward to smack her around the head, she had already squealed and retreated into the bathroom, closing the door behind her quickly. 

Levi leaned on the door and ran his fingers through his bed head, grumbling about Hanji under his breath. He looked over at Eren, noticed the teasing grin on his face and closed his eyes, completely done with them. 

Instead, he picked up a pack of cigarettes and backed out of the room. “I'm gonna need a smoke if I have to put up with you two.” Was he the only normal one here?

~~*~~*~~

“How come you're not going home for Christmas?” Armin spoke around the straw in his mouth, directing the question at Marco, who walked alongside him. 

Marco gave him a small shrug,”My mom's spending the Christmas with her new boyfriend and his family. Wouldn't feel right, you know? Same with my dad. His new wife and her kids are coming over, and it's just not the same atmosphere.” Armin nodded at the reasoning. “So, you're free to come over around 7 tonight. We're spending the night at mine.” Marco rolled his eyes slightly but the smile on his face remained. “Sasha persuaded us to all exchange presents the morning after, so it's just easier.” 

Armin smiled at the invitation. He couldn't leave town, so at least spending Christmas with friends was better than sitting alone. “I'll be there.” He promised, thinking back to all the presents wrapped back at his house. “I'll bring Mikasa along.” He added, only then wondering where the girl was. She said she was going somewhere with Jean, and he wondered what type of an outing it was. “Hey, Marco?” 

Marco replied with a 'hm?' as he sipped on his hot chocolate. 

“How are things with you and Jean?” He asked, watching as Marco's face quickly turned a shade of crimson. Armin was aware that Jean had told him everything about vampires, but it was never revealed that Eren and Mikasa were, in fact, vampires as well. Ergo, Armin had to be careful what he said around Marco. To the other's knowledge, Armin didn't know about vampires existing. 

“It's fine.” Marco replied and although there was a smile on his face, his voice seemed distant. “We don't really interact much in public. But then, when we get home he's the person who I know and definitely like. You know? He's different when we're around people.” 

Armin nodded. He knew perfectly well that Jean was still worried about Marco's safety, but he wasn't sure to what degree Jean would take it. 

“You don't think,” Marco started again, voice wavering,”-that there's something going on between him and Mikasa, do you?” 

Armin's eyes widened and he couldn't help but laugh lightly. “Definitely not.” He replied firmly. Jean was probably the last person Mikasa would be with; he was everything she didn't like in a guy. But then again, Mikasa never dated around a lot so perhaps Armin was mistaken and he really didn't know what types of guys Mikasa liked. 

“I see.” At that, Marco smiled, almost a winning smile. Armin couldn't help but grin; god, his friend was so in love it was disgusting. But, a good disgusting. This instantly made him think of Eren, and it seemed that showed. “How about Eren? Isn't he coming back for Christmas?” 

The official lie was that Eren was seeing Levi. Since it was partly true in the beginning, it didn't seem like such a big lie. The other lie was that Eren left town with Levi to visit the raven's family for Christmas. What a bunch of bullshit. 

“No.” He shrugged lightly, trying to hide the disappointment. “They're having a good time, last time I heard.” Which was more than a week ago, right after they left. He tried messaging Eren multiple times, and even calling, but it was all useless. He wasn't allowed to be near his phone. There was no way Armin could contact him, and after what he found in Erwin's office, he definitely tried many times. 

Marco nodded along, sipping on his hot chocolate and looking down at his phone. “Jean said we should meet him and Mikasa back at your house so we can head to mine.” 

Armin nodded as they turned, heading back to the house. He couldn't help but frown at the fact Eren wasn't with them; they've spent each Christmas together even since they were little. It had become a tradition of its own. 

Straying from the topic of Christmas, he also wondered what it was that Jean and Mikasa seemed to be doing together a lot more often, now. If it wasn't for the sake of a relationship, then what?

~~*~~*~~

The silver blade met its target, shoving past protective bones and piercing the heart with no second thoughts. The vampire gasped only once, a high whine coming from it's fanged mouth before it experienced a quick, painless death. Much more than it clearly deserved, Levi thought as he looked at the blood drained body on the ground. He didn't get here soon enough.

He crouched down and pressed his fingers to the victim's neck: no heartbeat detected. He cursed under his breath; even after all this, he didn't manage to save her. 

His gaze flickered to the dead vampire, his eyes narrowing as he wondered more than he should have at this point. Did that vampire truly deserve to die? He almost scoffed at the thought; of course he did! Levi could perhaps be persuaded that it was innocent if he didn't himself observe the vampire killing an innocent person. 

Where were those thoughts coming from anyway? He never hesitated with killing vampires before. He blamed Eren for this; before, Levi never bothered to wonder if a vampire was a good person, but with knowing how good of a person Eren was, it was hard to ignore the fact that not all of the creatures had to be evil. 

“Impressing.” A figure appeared from the darkness and Levi rolled his eyes at the familiar, annoying voice. A clapping sound erupted and he narrowed his eyes as Hitch stepped forward, her light brown hair looking much darker in the moonlight. Her large, cat-like, amber eyes however, seemed to illuminate in the darkness. “Well done to you, Levi.” 

He straightened and grabbed his blade, frowning at the blood staining it. With his other hand he reached for a cloth and begun wiping the fresh blood. “You have nothing fucking better to do than follow me?” 

She laughed lightly,”Quite the opposite. I'm stuck with a lot of paper work.” She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on the wall. “I never would have joined this sector if I knew how much work it would be.” 

“Boo you.” Levi replied, his voice monotone. “You get stuck filling out fucking forms while the rest of us risk our lives every night.” 

“Oh, don't feel so sorry for yourself, Levi.” She sneered, her eyes set on him, her tone condescending. This girl and everything about her infuriated him. “I hear your job isn't as boring as it used to be. Something to do with harbouring a vampire across the country?”

“That's none of your fucking business.” He spat. It was useless denying it however, it was clear she knew all about it. She was Dawk's lap dog, after all.

Her eyes narrowed at the lack of denial. “Not everybody cares what that kid is leading you to, you know.” She shrugged dismissively. “You have people watching you, Levi. Working with the vampire is unnatural. He's going to die sooner than later.” 

He couldn't stop the unexpected flinch that went through his body, and Hitch must have noticed it too. A smirk appeared on her thin lips. “Oh? Don't you want him dead?” She giggled, her head shaking with the grin still on her lips. “Really, Levi, you're growing soft.” 

“I'm going to be the one to kill him, when the time comes.” He replied defensively, a growl to his words. But even then, he almost laughed at his own words; he didn't sound convincing at all. What the fuck was happening to him?“Fuck off.” He simply spat in exchange, sheathing the blade back into its place. He started walking away from the girl, sick of everything that left her mouth. 

“You should watch your back, Levi!” Hitch yelled after him, waving her hand after his quickly shrinking form. Normally, he would turn around and corner her, ask whether that was a threat itself and then make sure she never spoke another bad word to him again; but he was tired already. 

“You never know when a new enemy strikes.” She added quietly with a hum, sure that he didn't hear her last words. She called for clean up and then backed away from the scene, giggling to herself softly. 

~~*~~*~~

“Hanji! The more mess we make, the more pissed he will be!” The yell left Eren's mouth before he could stop it, his eyes wide and frantic as Hanji froze in her place and looked over at him, frightened at the sudden yelling. He took a large breath in and slowly breathed out,”Now, please,” He spoke again, his voice quieter,”Just leave it to me.” 

Hanji gave him a glare but put the ingredients down and sat down on a stool by the island, watching him with a mocking smile on her face. He murmured a 'thank you' and returned to his work. 

Of course, Hanji didn't remain silent for long. “You do know,” She started,”-that making the exact things you're making, some of which are his favourite, totally brings up your chances of banging him tonight?” 

Eren dropped the bowl he was holding, his eyes widening at her words. “Hanji!” He hissed. “Who says I want to do that?” He shot back. 

She snorted unattractively,”Please, Twilight, you get a boner every time you see some skin.” She teased. 

He frowned at the new nickname. “I don't sparkle.” He simply replied, finding it hard to disagree with her. 

“Your eyes do.” She pointed out with a massive grin. “And boy, if you were my type I'd bang you right now.” She sighed and looked away, choosing to instead look down at her nails. “Unfortunately, my only love is science.” 

“Explains the sexual frustration, then.” Eren teased, finding that it was great to tease Hanji back. Now he knew why Levi did it so much. “Hey, Hanji,” He started, mixing the vegetables before he turned to look at her. “This is gonna be a really awkward Christmas; I don't have any presents.” 

“Well, there is always your body which-” 

“Hanji!”

She laughed lightly,”It's fine, Twilight.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “I didn't expect you to get any, either way.” She smiled at him and he nodded, turning back around. She let the smile fall off her face as she realized she started getting too friendly with Eren; that wasn't supposed to happen. In any situation, their friendship would be additional baggage which she wasn't up for carrying right now. 

She watched as Eren started setting out the different dishes on the dining table, a small smile on his lips; he looked almost proud of himself and she yet again wondered why he was so at ease with everything. 

There were only two scenarios under which Eren could remain so calm in this situation: one, he had an escape plan which was foolproof, but knowing the kid, she wasn't sure that was the case. Or two, he really was head over heels for Levi, which was both dangerous and yet strangely adorable. Honestly? She thought it was a combination of both of these scenarios, which made all of this so much worse. 

He laid out the different dishes on the table and grinned at Hanji. God, he looked so proud of himself that she really had no heart to tell him anything was wrong at this point. He looked over at the clock and nodded to himself as he started washing his hands. 

Two minutes later, the front door slammed and Hanji immediately perked up.”Honey, are you home?” She called, a grin lighting up her face. 

Levi walked through the doorway with one of the biggest scowls Eren have ever seen, and it was aimed right at Hanji. “I can't believe you just said that.” He murmured, setting his jacket down on a chair. A perfect frown remained on his face before his eyes set upon all the food and his eyebrows rose, clearly impressed. “Can't say I'm not surprised.” He spoke, but the smile he gave Eren told him that he truly appreciated it. 

“How did it go?” Hanji spoke up, getting off her seat and clasping her hands together, waiting for Levi to tell her all the details. 

“The usual.” He replied with a shrug. “Hitch followed me. Her mere presence annoys me so much I want to blow my fucking brains out.” He murmured as he started on thoroughly washing his hands.

Eren watched the exchange in silence, leaned back on the island with his arms crossed. 

“What did you do all day?” Levi asked instead, his question aimed at Eren. “Except for cooking for the whole of the damn army, of course.” He motioned to all the food with his head. 

Before Eren could reply, Hanji quickly joined in. “We tried to re-enact the whole thing again, but failed.” 

Levi shrugged simply,”Explains the dead flowers in the hallway.” He murmured. “Now, can you please let the kid talk? Shut your mouth for one minute, four eyes.” 

“What did Hitch want?” Eren asked instead once the attention was all on him. Hanji had told him all about Hitch during Levi's absence. 

Levi finished washing his hands and wiped them on a nearby towel. “To piss me off, clearly.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “She also succeeded.” He added in a murmur. “Didn't you guys want to have some sort of a happy Christmas illusion here?” He motioned to all the food and Hanji squealed, immediately agreeing.

They had sat down at the table and Eren watched with a small smile as the two hunters dug into the food eagerly, with Hanji moaning about how good it was and Levi commenting that it was nice to have a home-cooked meal. How could he not feel proud? Even if they were his enemies, he supposed. 

After the feast, they had all sat back while Hanji commented that she had a bottle of wine stashed away. With immediate protests from Levi, she was unfortunately stopped from getting it. “You just don't want Eren to see you drunk. You're actually happy, then.” Hanji had pointed out and Levi didn't waste time before cursing her out and smacking the back of her head, mentioning it was also for the morning and her little stunt. 

Eren watched the interaction between them both and couldn't help but smile. But as he finished eating and got up, he headed to the balcony. He leaned on the railing and looked out into the night; it was almost midnight. He wondered what Armin, Mikasa and the rest of his friends were doing right now. 

While he looked out into the dark sky, he didn't notice Levi walking out, a lit cigarette already between his lips as he leaned on the railing right next to him. “Didn't take you for the pondering, brooding type of person.” He commented easily, his fingers instinctively wrapping around the stick before bringing it down, blowing out, and then back up again.

“Me neither.” Eren murmured back. 

A comfortable silence fell over them and Eren realised just how little he spoke with Levi today. Ever since Hanji's arrival, she has been the one who talked and talked. 

“Thanks for tonight, Eren.” He looked over to Levi but saw no change in the raven's expression, his smouldering grey eyes still set on the skyline. “It was nice.” He added, his eyes only then moving to watch Eren from the corner. A small smirk grew on his lips,”Dare I say, that was way better than Erwin's cooking.” 

Eren couldn't help but grin. “Thanks.” 

“Don't get used to it.” Levi shrugged slightly. “I don't give out compliments often.” He blew out the smoke. “If we're on schedule, we should get to Shiganshina the day after tomorrow.” He stated. 

Eren frowned and looked over at him. Did he want this journey to end? Eren had to be realistic; once his hands were on his father's journal, Levi would turn into his enemy and then, no matter how bad the practice with Hanji went, Eren would have to find a way to beat Levi in a fight. Or, at least, avoid him successfully. 

“Oi, Eren.” He looked over to Levi, seeing the raven had finished his cigarette. Levi gave him a small, tight smile.“Don't worry.” There was a second where Eren felt the gentle, comforting caress of Levi's hand against his shoulder before the raven disappeared back inside. Was this supposed to mean something?

He headed inside not long after, getting changed and letting his tired body fall on one side of the double bed. He absolutely hated sharing the bed with Hanji; she was one of the most active people he had ever met, even at night. 

Imagine his surprise when he saw Hanji flop on the single bed across the room, momentarily followed by a shirtless Levi letting his body fall on the mattress, only a few centimetres away from Eren. He was about to voice his confusion, but once he saw he massive grin on Hanji's face, he quickly understood it was probably one more of her evil schemes. 

Levi turned to him with an expression caught between concern and annoyance,”Hope you don't hog the damn covers.” He simply murmured before he slid in under said covers and turned his back to Eren. Eren lay perfectly still, his mouth still slightly agape as he was faced with the flawless view of Levi's back. God, the muscles rippled under the tattoo even in the darkness; damn his perfect night vision.

His eyes widened and he quickly turned his back to Levi, keeping to his edge of the bed safely. He couldn't trust his hands to not go and do something that would probably get him stabbed in return; after all, Levi did keep his blade right by his side.

Hanji broke the silence,”Do you think that when Erwin dies, his eyebrows crawl off to find a new keeper?” 

The question was so random that it made Eren snort with laughter, while Levi answered in monotone,”I fucking hope not.” He murmured, his voice now horrified. “I don't fucking want them.” The image that struck Eren made him laugh out loud and he was momentarily shocked when he felt somebody flick him in the ear, hard. “Stop fucking laughing and go to sleep.” He heard Levi murmur and Hanji giggle. 

It wasn't long before Hanji's snores filled the room, but Eren couldn't sleep. He watched the clock strike midnight and then the bed shifted slightly. “Merry Christmas, Eren.” Came a silent whisper, and he wasn't sure whether Levi wanted him to hear it or not. 

But in any case, he smiled and whispered back,”Happy Birthday, Levi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's a little explanation: I'm Polish. Back in Poland, Christmas Eve actually seems to be more important than Christmas Day, I guess. Like, there's a shit ton of food and we can open our presents then instead of Christmas and that's really the only experience of Christmas I got, so sorry if it's not the same as in America, or anywhere else.   
> I hope you enjoyed Hanji's teasing. I know I did. I couldn't end the chapter without adding the joke about Erwin because it didn't want to leave my head after I saw it on Tumblr.  
> I also needed to add the bit with Marco/Armin cause I don't want to feel like I'm neglecting the guys back home. You still get an insight to what is happening. Ugh, also, I do recognize that the timing here is REALLY messed up, but hang in there with me guys.   
> I think in the next chapter they're going to reach Shiganshina. But I'm not yet sure whether the really important chapter is going to be the next or the one after that. I might end the next on a cliffhanger.   
> Next update... Maybe Monday-ish?   
> Sorry for this chapter! I understand it wasn't the most exciting! But thank you for all the reads, comments and kudos so far and I really hope I don't disappoint you guys!  
> Without further ado, I will now go hide in the corner and await the new chapter of SNK coming out sometime soon. -aggressively prays for Levi to survive-


	19. Best Fucking Birthday Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio notice something suspicious.  
> Annie shares her plan with the group.  
> Levi comes up with a plan to deal with the issue.  
> Marco and Jean spend Christmas doing nothing.  
> Levi fucks up.

“Don't you dare say a fucking word.” Eren bit down on his lip to try and stop the laugh bubbling up his chest and getting stuck in his throat. Levi was currently giving him one of the deadliest looks Eren had seen so far, just daring him to say one word. 

Eren looked back at Hanji for just a second, the forced straight face still in place, but as he spotted her trying to hold back her own fit of laughter, he cracked. 

How could he not laugh? Levi must have been wearing one of the worst Christmas sweaters Eren had seen in his life, and that counted the light-up one he was wearing himself (that he got from Hanji, obviously) and all the previous ones he was forced by Armin to wear. 

The sweater itself wasn't ugly, unlike Eren's, but it was the picture of a Santa sitting on a toilet right in the middle of the sweater which matched Levi's personality so perfectly. There was nobody else in the world who made as many shit jokes as Levi. Then again, the funny part was also seeing how displeased Levi was with it, and just how colourful the sweater was. He did pull it off, though, but Eren found that Levi could pull off pretty much anything with his physique; even colour, as dreadful as it was. 

“Fuck you, both of you. I hope you both get fucked in the ass with something razor-sharp.” Levi snapped, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. Eren tried to cease his laughing and looked over to Levi, his hand moving without him realising. Before he knew it, he had placed it upon Levi's leg and patted it. 

They both froze at the contact and Eren's smile immediately vanished. “You need to take things less seriously.” He spoke, trying to not make it too awkward, before he cleared his throat and took his hand away, his head turning to look out of the window. His hand shook slightly; it wanted to stay exactly where it was before. 

Hanji whistled slightly from the back,”It seems even I'm not killing the sexual tension in the air.” She murmured under her breath. 

Eren watched Levi's hands clench around the steering wheel before he lunged out of his seat, “That's it.” He growled, turning to grab at Hanji who screamed and curled herself as much into the back as she could. Eren, in the moment, grabbed the steering wheel and made sure the car wouldn't swerve. 

But after a few short seconds of trying to grab Hanji, Levi froze. He swiftly turned back and grabbed the steering wheel while his foot pressed down on the gas pedal. “What is it?” Eren was the first to ask once he spotted Levi's focused face. 

“The black BMW behind us.” He spoke, his gaze swapping to look into the mirror and observing the car behind them. “It's been behind us for a while.” He hinted and Eren instantly frowned. 

Hanji cautiously turned her head slightly, making it look natural, before she turned to the front with a frown. “So?” Eren spoke back. “They could just be heading the same way.” He commented with a shrug; he didn't want the hunters getting too melodramatic. 

Levi shook his head in denial,”It looks slightly too much like the hunter assigned BMW; the very same one we are driving.” Now that he pointed it out, Eren did realize the car was exactly the same as theirs. 

“Do you think it's them?” Hanji asked Levi, her hand travelling to a holster strapped to her thigh where her gun resided. 

“Hitch wouldn't be stupid enough to follow us in an easily identifiable car.” Levi replied sharply, his foot loosening on the gas pedal. “They must have a different plan.” He insinuated quietly. 

“Or maybe it is just a coincidence?” Hanji supplied weakly. 

He could only hope so.

~~*~~*~~

“This is a blueprint of the hunter base in the city.” Reiner, Mikasa learned his name was, pointed to the massive map laid out in front of them. “The control room should be located here.” He pointed to a room on the map. “There are security rooms here and here.” He added. 

Mikasa shook her head at that, “There's one here.” She added, her mouth once again hidden by the scarf she had received from Eren so many years ago. Her gaze caught Annie's over the table, who gave her a satisfied nod. Reiner quickly added the new information to the blueprint. 

“Our goal is to get into the control room where Reiner will be able to get all the information from their systems.” Annie spoke, her gaze settling on Reiner. Mikasa could see the friendship just in the way they looked at each other; or perhaps, it wasn't as much as friendship as the need to survive, and they managed it together. “Kill anybody along the way.” She turned to look at Berwick, then. “Berwick will gather a group and provide a distraction across town. There will be less hunters in the base. After we get what we need, we kill everybody in the building.” 

Mikasa's eyes widened at the reckless plan. Annie must have been desperate enough to put a plan like this together. Something told her that Annie wasn't usually the person who took charge; perhaps the person who took charge was the person they lost.

“Hold on a second,” Jean stopped her before she could continue. “We know some of these hunters. How are we supposed to look them in the eye and kill them?” Mikasa knew he was hinting at Hanji and Levi. 

“It's simple,” Annie replied with a shrug. “You don't have to kill them. But don't fool yourself with the belief that they won't kill you when it comes to it.” And that was perhaps what told Mikasa she would definitely kill. The world was a beautiful place, but it was also merciless; it was kill or be killed. Only the victors are allowed to live.

“Reiner will take care to release the information after we are done.” Annie continued, simply ignoring Jean. “We've contacted a nest west of Stohess. They have enough vampires to spread the word and get other bases close by eliminated within days.” Mikasa stilled for a second; that was a lot of vampires. 

And, unfortunately, as reckless as the plan was, it also seemed that it would stupidly work. They seemed to have seen through possible threats and eliminated them. “If Eren is in the building, I refuse to kill anybody.” Mikasa spoke up instead. 

Annie's icy gaze scanned over her carefully. “You stupidly still think they're going to keep him alive?” When Mikasa only watched her in a reply, Annie sneered while shaking her head,”If he's in the building, you better hope he joins into the action and doesn't go protecting his boyfriend.”

“Are you threatening Eren?” Mikasa hissed, her posture straightening and her fists clenching on the table. 

Annie observed the motion and dismissed it with a cool gaze,”No.” She replied simply. “I'm just saying that for your sake, it would be better. Wouldn't want you to go and kill his boyfriend. I'm sure he would hate you forever.” As good as the idea of wrapping her fingers around Levi's neck and ripping him apart sounded, Mikasa knew perfectly well that Eren was enamoured with the hunter. 

“As much as I would love for you to continue this conversation,” Jean started, his voice interrupting them all. “It's Christmas Day and I have somewhere to be.” 

Mikasa's face softened as she looked over to Jean. He was doing this because of Marco; for Marco. Even he didn't deserve to be here. The boy had never killed anybody in his life before. 

Annie didn't pay attention to him. “After we receive the signal from Berwick, Jean and myself will go in first. We'll clear half of the way to the control room through here,” She pointed at the blueprint. “Mikasa and Reiner will follow with a three minute delay and head straight to the control room. We will inform you of our location once you get what we need.” 

To some extent, it was a good plan. The estimated amount of vampires in the country alone was large, and if they were to all group together and attack, Mikasa was sure they would do real damage. The only problem with vampires attacking hunters was that the hunter bases were very top secret. Even if one was located, finding a way in was even harder. “Are we going to get some weapons?” Mikasa asked, seeing that nobody else would. “It's not exactly easy to kill hunters.” After all, they were trained to kill vampires. 

“We meet here at 6:30PM in exactly a week. You will be handed a weapon before we set out. Attacking at night gives Berwick and his team an advantage with the hunters going after them.” Annie stood up from her seat at the table. “Better be a quick learner if you don't know how to shoot.” 

Mikasa could only hope that Eren would not be back by the time all of this went down. 

~~*~~*~~

“Is this smart?” Hanji murmured, still in the back seat while Levi parked the car in front of the hotel. 

“They're not going to come forward while I'm here.” Levi replied firmly, nodding to himself as he turned the engine off and prepared to get out. “They still think we haven't noticed them.” He pointed out with a shrug. “So I'm going to outsmart them.” 

“Levi, I don't think this is-” Hanji started protesting again and was this time cut off by Eren. 

“It's completely fucking idiotic!” Eren exclaimed, his eyes wide as he watched Levi get out of the car. “What makes you think that they won't just barge in, shoot Hanji and stab me in the back?” He hissed low to Levi across the car once they all got out. 

“Because it's fucking Hitch.” Levi replied with his own hiss, his face becoming more expressive as he turned to Eren. “And she will play games just to mess with us all.” He grabbed the bag Eren was so used to seeing and turned away from them. “We're a day away from Shiganshina. We can't allow them to follow us anymore.” His head turned, his gaze settling on them. “Sign into the room and wait for them. I'll be there.” Hanji began walking towards the hotel, but Eren remained still in his spot, his bright eyes glaring into Levi. “I won't let them hurt you, Eren.” Levi promised quietly and Eren's body immediately softened at the words. 

He gave Levi a simple nod before following Hanji inside. 

~~*~~*~~

“B8.” 

“Hit. D4.” 

“Miss. B9.”

“Miss.” 

“You're a cheater!” Marco burst out, a grin placed firmly on his lips as he leaned forward, trying to look over at Jean's battleships. 

“I'm not the one leaning over to see your ships, freckles.” Jean teased back, a grin sliding onto his lips. “How am I a cheater?” 

“I tried each way and it was a miss! And B8 is a hit!” Marco pointed out, the happy smile still on his face. Jean couldn't stop smiling like that; he's been home for about an hour after a dreadful meeting with the vampire death squad and Marco already managed to bring up his mood. 

“Well, maybe my ship has a hole in the middle.” He shrugged, trying to even out his smile into a straight face. 

Marco narrowed his eyes at him, “You're a cheater, Jean Kirschtein.” He spoke firmly, his eyebrows raising as Jean rolled his eyes. “What kind of a ship has a hole in the middle?” He exclaimed, his hands flying up in frustration. 

Jean grinned and leaned forward, his hand clutching Marco's shirt and pulling him forward, making the freckled boy fall right on top of him, their bodies melding together into the couch. The game fell to the floor, forgotten. “I like winding you up.” Jean admitted into Marco's neck, his lips hovering over the quickly warming skin as a blush quickly started appearing on Marco's face. “You get a bit red, and your freckles stand out.” 

Marco groaned and slapped a hand over his face, hiding said freckles from view. Jean frowned and reached his own hand up to take Marco's away, their fingers tangling together once he did. He leaned up and left a peck on Marco's nose, grinning right after. 

But the way Marco looked back at him was breathtaking. His dark, golden eyes watched Jean with amazement, admiration and astonishment; like Jean was some precious jewel. But they held so much more; they told Jean exactly what it was neither of them had said yet. 

“Hey, Jean...” Marco mumbled, his eyes straying away from Jean's own to hesitantly look away. “I know it might be too soon, but we do know each other for years, and you don't have to say it back but-” Marco's breath hitched and he stopped himself. 

Jean's arms wrapped around him, pressing his body closer for comfort. “Please say it, Marco.” He whispered, his face hiding in Marco's shoulder so that the other wouldn't see what was happening on Jean's face, or particularly, his eyes. “I need to hear it.” He added, his voice cracking slightly as he realised these were some of the moments he would remember with Marco if anything were to go wrong next week. 

Marco nodded slightly, his own lips stopping by Jean's ear, “I love you.” 

Jean smiled and hugged him tighter. This was it. He was completely content now.

~~*~~*~~

Fuck, he didn't plan this. 

This wasn't a part of the plan. 

Fucking hell, Levi, you messed up once again. 

Can't even protect the damn kid from a few amateur hunters. 

Guess this was his fate, huh? He would always disappoint people. 

He picked up the note left on the table. His eyes scanned over the few blood drops on the white carpet in the main room and his hand tightened around the piece of paper with cursive writing on it. It let him know of a meeting point and a time. 

He should have seen this coming. How could he lose them? 

_“You should have been there, brat. You should have protected her while I wasn't there! That was your only fucking job around here! And now? Now she's dead! And it's your fault, Levi. I hope you fucking remember that.”_ His own father's words rang in his ears. 

If he continued to disappoint people, they would leave him too. _Just like his father did._

He scrunched up the note and threw it across the room, watching the piece of paper lightly hit the wall. He dragged Hanji into the whole hunter business; he would not be responsible for her death. She warned him, but he wouldn't listen. His pride had clouded his judgement; he was so sure he was better than the hunter scum following them. And Eren...Eren didn't deserve this. And he had promised Eren he wouldn't let the kid get hurt. 

His fists clenched, his eyes skimming down to the bag which lay open, weapons pouring out. He picked up the nearest two guns; he wasn't hunting vampires tonight. 

__Best fucking birthday ever._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I'm a horrible person cause I absolutely love cliffhangers unless it's me that's reading them. But yeah, shit is going down next chapter. Although, it's not the most important scene in the story, so it's not going to be THAT detailed.  
> What do you think of Annie's plan? Not my best work, honestly. But it seems to work.  
> I was grinning the whole time I was writing Jean and Marco. I will now proceed to skip down the street, throwing flower petals behind me and shooting rainbows out of my ass.  
> You guys still enjoying the Ereri hints? What if I told you there might be smut coming sooner than expected?  
> But oh god, I have the ending planned out PERFECTLY. Like, I just lay in bed trying to get to sleep at 4am and a quote will come to me and I just HAVE to write it down. I think some people will be happy, and some might be slightly disappointed. Oh well. Can't please everyone. But, I AM currently writing another vampire story. But I might not start posting until I have a few chapters. As you can tell, my sleeping pattern has fucked up big time. But I have my last exam tomorrow, and then I have another week free. And then -sigh- back to school for like a month wtf it don't make sense.  
> So, wish me luck surviving for the next few days.  
> There should be an update by around Friday-ish. Maybe sooner, maybe later; I'm having some friends over for a few days after exams cause what else can we do but get drunk off our asses? And I'm not sure how long they will stay.  
> I realise there were hardly any comments in the last chapter, and that kind of makes me hesitant to write fluff. Do you guys want action 24/7 or some fluff in there? Let me know!  
> Thanks for the continuous support and all the nice messages on [Tumblr!](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)  
> Btw, this is what I imagined the Christmas sweaters as: [Levi](http://www.baronbob.com/images/products/preview/ugly-sweater-main.jpg)  
> [Eren](http://www.baronbob.com/images/products/secondary/sw-season-main--1.jpg)


	20. Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi tries to get Eren and Hanji back.   
> Things don't end how he thought they would.

Once upon a time, the first thing that Levi would do in a situation like this was call Erwin and report exactly what was happening. As the big, bad Commander, Erwin would then take care of everything; after all, he was sure the other hunters were not acting out a command. 

Then what the hell was he doing here?

That fucking kid was going to be the death of him. He had rushed to the rescue without a viable plan and now stood in front of the building. Levi knew enough about hunter locations to work out that this wasn't a hunter base; once again, that only confirmed that Hitch was not following any orders or else they would have taken Eren to a base. This, however, still looked sturdy enough to perhaps be a safe point. 

He looked around the deserted street and breathed in. The stupidity of his actions hit him now and he swore that if either Hanji or Eren were hurt, he would make Hitch regret it. A small smirk lit his lips as he hoped both of them at least put up a fight. 

He walked forward and entered the building. If he believed in God, now would be a good time to pray. 

~~*~~*~~

The silver burned at his wrists as he struggled against the chains, his eyes concentrated on the figure standing on the other side of the room in front of a large screen. He hissed at the burn and received a warning glare from Hanji, who sat tied to a chair in the other corner; with her mouth gagged, she was silent and if they were in any better situation he would laugh about it; Hanji was incapable of being quiet. 

He paused, his teeth gritting as he observed the three hunters in the room. The girl stood by the screen and from here Eren could see the bruise quickly blossoming under her eye; at least Hanji got a nice hit in. The other hunter, with short grey-ish hair with bangs, stood by the window, a gun ready in the holster strapped to his thigh and a stake in his other hand. One more sat on top of a table, his eyes watching Hanji before moving over to Eren and then back. 

“You're going against your fucking orders.” Eren spat, feeling blood in his mouth; probably still from the time they grey-haired hunter decided to kick him while he was down. They had no honour. 

“Quiet, scum.” The very same hunter snapped, his voice firm and prudent. Hanji shot him a glare and struggled in her trap. 

Eren looked over at her with a frown. He should have blamed Levi for this; but Levi asked him to trust him, so how could he? “At least let her go.” Eren pleaded finally, his eyes still set on Hanji who immediately protested through incoherent sounds.

“We will.” The girl assured him without turning away from the screen. From here he could make out that the screen showed camera views from around different parts of the building. Eren could only guess the girl's name was Hitch. “Once you're dead and Levi gets here, we have no use with her.” So they were waiting for Levi. He hoped Levi wasn't stupid enough to come without backup- this was clearly a trap. 

“Why are you so hung up over Levi?” He spat, his eyes narrowing as Hitch finally turned around, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

“It's it obvious?” She laughed, her arms crossing over her chest. “Levi has always been the goodie-goodie. We trained together. I'm trying to prove that he changed,” She paused, her eyes scanning over Eren,”I mean, really, he's working with leeches now. If I can prove this to my superiors, I can easily get him kicked out of the organization.” So it was jealousy which led Hitch to do this. 

Eren struggled against the chains again, but Hitch paid him no attention. “He's not stupid enough to fall into your poorly planned out trap.” He hissed again, his fangs snapping down in the hopes that he could look at least a little bit threatening. 

Hitch laughed then, a laugh too hard and loud to be a simple giggle. “That's funny.” She commented. “I think you underestimate his little feelings.” She half turned to look at Eren and pressed a button. “You see this? He just arrived.” 

Eren struggled harder, the metal riding into his wrists with a painful sizzle. He could scream; maybe Levi would hear him and realize coming in here wasn't worth it. “He'll kill you all.” He spoke instead, opting for trying to scare them. 

“I don't doubt it.” Hitch shrugged slightly, and left Eren's eyebrows to furrow in confusion. Did they want to die? “The only problem is: he'll have a problem getting in.” She pressed another button and the camera switched to a different room. 

Eren's eyes widened and he heard an exclamation of shock from Hanji. The camera showed three figures; just like himself, they were all tied in a similar way, but their movements and the visible frantic looks in their wild eyes told Eren they weren't human. They were holding vampires in the building. And these weren't normal, rational vampires who would run the first chance they got; these were starved and lusting for human blood. 

Hanji protested, rocking in her chair harder. Eren had seen Levi take down two vampires by himself, but there were three now, and they were wilder than usual. These would do anything to sink their teeth into the hunter's neck. “You'll kill him!” He yelled, his teeth baring in a snarl as the aura in the room thickened and became colder, his breath coming out as a thin cloud. 

Hitch turned to him, clearly impressed with what he just did. If only he could control it. “My, perhaps you're not so useless after all.” She stepped away from the screen and the other hunter immediately took her place. Instead, she walked over to Eren and crouched down in front of him at a safe distance. “If only we had more time, I could play a little game with you. I wonder how Levi would react if it was you attacking him.” She paused, a knowing smirk on her lips. “Would he kill you?” 

Yes, Eren felt like screaming. That is his job!

Then, why was he hesitating? 

“Let them go.” Hitch commanded, and Eren's yell was lost in the growls of the starved vampires, whose chains had fallen away and were now freely roaming the building. 

~~*~~*~~

The gun felt heavy in his hand. He never liked using guns, anyway. He was used to holding his blades; they were light and quick when it came to killing vampires, but of course, when it came to armed hunters, they were next to useless. 

A yell echoed the halls and he paused, his arms flying up and folding into an offensive position, the arm which held the gun on top of his elbow and aiming the weapon precisely. Just because he didn't like guns didn't mean he wasn't good with them. 

But that yell...It sounded awfully like Eren and his hand tightened on the gun momentarily. He promised not to let him get hurt. 

He tensed as he heard footsteps running down an adjacent hallway and his finger neared the trigger. Firing the gun would let them know he was here, but it would be the easiest way to kill them if they came around the corner and he was almost sure he spotted cameras around the building beforehand anyway. 

The footsteps grew near, more frantic and pace quickening. His finger tightened over the trigger. 

And then his arm fell down completely as his targets rounded the corner. 

Seeing the flash of fangs, and claws and hearing the growls and the snarls, he wasted no time in dropping the gun to the ground and his hands reaching down to his belt for the two twin silver blades. Vampires!

But they were faster. 

His hand had barely wrapped around the hilt of the blade and pulled before he was roughly tackled to the ground, his back crunching under the weight as the exposed fangs reflected the light above him snarling, growling, head lowering, and lowering, until it was at his neck. 

He then forced the blade up and through, hearing the cry of the vampire as the blade pierced through its stomach and forced it to lean back with a roar of anguish. The other two vampires immediately reacted, one pulling Levi's attacker off with a snarl while the other took its position. 

He had to get to his feet, and quickly. 

His hand helped him push off as he gracefully leapt to his feet, a blade in one hand while the other hand was already searching his belt for the special ingredient Hanji had given him. 

He waved the blade, hoping to keep them back while he got what he needed, but these were starving and completely inhumane; their only desire was to rip into his neck- they didn't care whether they died in the process. 

He swung the blade as one neared too far, the silver slashing at the vampire's arm. Fucking Hitch was trying to kill him. Oh, how he would enjoy shooting her in the head after he was done here. He remembered what Eren told him about vampire bites; if he was bitten, it was all over. 

He inhaled a large breath, his hand tightening around the familiar blade. He attacked first. 

With the blade in hand, he spun and continued to spin while he lowered his body, his leg straightening to catch one of the vampires off balance and bringing him to the floor. Meanwhile, he forced the blade into another's body, hearing its horrible screech as the silver burned at the wound. When he turned to the third, he didn't come close to it. Instead, he trusted his skill and threw the syringe with precision, watching as it met its target at the base of the vampire's collar bone. 

He spun again, kicking the second vampire away and withdrawing his blade, slashing at its other arm while the first still struggled to get up from the ground. He felt a pain shoot up his arm and let a pained groan slip his lips as he turned to the third vicious vampire. He blinked and hoped Hanji was right; he kicked up, his boot meeting the syringe and pressing it down in the process. 

The vampire froze, its eyes widening and mouth opening in a silent screech. But Levi didn't have time to observe; his other hand instead grabbed onto the other blade and pulled it out, slicing at the nearest vampire's shoulder and making him back away for a split second. 

A hand grabbed his foot and pulled, making him lose his balance and come crashing to the floor with a painful crunch. He swore and looked ahead, his foot connecting with a vampire's face as it pushed him away. The other vampire tackled him, its hands cleverly trying to pry the blade out of Levi's own hand, but he bent his knee and hit the vampire's back, forcing his body forward and right onto the silver blade. The blade stabbed right through the heart and Levi scowled as blood dripped onto his shirt; he shoved the dead vampire away. 

But meanwhile, the third and last vampire had snuck up to his side, it's hands grabbing at Levi's arm and claws digging into his skin. He writhed in pain, then, his back arching as the claws sunk deep into muscle and he felt the feeling in his arm quickly seeping away. Then, the vampire reared back momentarily before its' head snapped forward almost like a snake and its fangs sliced into the skin on his forearm. 

He felt the dizziness overtake him almost immediately, blood rushing under his skin as the vampire's eyes closed under the taste of his blood. His body started burning up, but just before his vision started blacking out, his other arm had joined the battle. He put all his strength into this one move; if it failed, he was as good as dead. 

He forced all the remaining strength into that one motion and slid the silver through the air. There was a pause of silence, and then the vampire's head hung limply to its neck, most of its neck having been cut. He shoved the lifeless vampire away and sat up, quickly stabbing his blade into the same space repeatedly to make sure the vampire was fully decapitated and would not heal. 

He looked over to the first vampire he killed; its body seemed to be burnt, but there was no way it was healing. It was dead and Levi mentally thanked Hanji; it seemed dead man's blood did the trick. 

His head spun and he felt nauseous. The haze was quickly taking over his mind, but he bit his lip and forced himself to stand up, holding back the need to throw up as he saw the blood on the ground. The smell was disgusting and constantly there. He leaned on the wall for support and paused for just a second, just a quick rest. 

He leaned his head against the wall and felt his eyes drooping. No. He had to keep going. He promised Eren. He wouldn't let Hanji get hurt. He wouldn't disappoint them when they had trusted him. 

Keeping a firm hold against the wall, he forced his body to move, stepping over the bodies. 

He couldn't wait to get his hands on Hitch. 

~~*~~*~~

The atmosphere in the room remained calm as Eren continued to stare at the screen, even though Levi had disappeared from the frame, just leaving the bloody mess behind. 

Everybody was shocked into silence. 

“This is fucking ridiculous.” The grey-haired hunter snapped, his hands working to reload his gun. “That guy just took on three vampires and won! There is no way we-”

“Shut up, Boris.” Hitch snapped, turning to look at the said hunter. “He's bitten and injured. If he does manage to even reach this room, he's in no condition to fight.” 

“Why bother, Hitch?” The other man spoke up, still sitting on the table which held the controls. “He's clearly a much better hunter than you could ever be. Either that, or the guy is seriously motivated to get here.” 

At the words, Hitch turned to look at Eren. “How did he do it?” She growled, nearing Eren with each angry step. “You helped him somehow. What did you do?” She accused, her hand reaching forward and grabbing Eren by the neck, her nails pinching at his skin as he hissed, saying nothing but instead choosing to snarl at her, letting his fangs elongate. 

There was a bang at the door and they all turned swiftly, weapons in hands and aimed at the door. Another bang and the doors were flung open. Eren heard the safety being pulled back on Hitch's weapon. 

But instead of a great entrance, Levi's figure stumbled into the room. Covered in blood and eyes drooping, his form slouched forward and slightly rocking. Something in Eren's chest tightened. Hanji struggled, her eyes watering as she saw what condition Levi was in. 

“I'm going to fucking kill you, Hitch.” Levi growled, his head lifting to look at the girl with a deadly stare. 

Hitch lowered one of her guns, putting it back into its' place before she replaced it with a silver-tipped stake. “Make one move and he dies.” She brought the hand lower, the stake lined up with Eren's chest. It was a few centimeters away, but if he as much as wanted him dead, all she had to do was force her arm back hard. 

Levi's eyes scanned over Hanji, his lips opening, but no words coming out before he moved onto Eren. His gaze softened immediately and Eren heard him inhale sharply; he would be lying if he said he was in great condition. The hunters sure had their fun with him. “You're going to kill him either way.” Levi replied firmly, his arm moving up to point his gun forward. Hitch straightened. 

“You're pathetic, Levi.” She laughed lightly. “It's clear how much you care for him. It's repulsive. Vampires are all monsters, and they deserve to die.” While Hitch went on a monologue, Eren's eyes skimmed over to Hanji and he strained his ears as he heard a small shuffling noise. She gave him a meaningful look and he saw a small object reflect light at him. She had a pocket knife! And the shuffling noise he heard was her currently trying to cut through the rope binding her wrists. 

Levi's eyes swapped from Hitch to the other hunters, one by one. He was clearly assessing the situation and Eren could tell from his face that it was not looking good. 

The shuffling noise stopped and he looked over at Hanji, who was quickly working the rope off her wrists. With her back mostly facing a wall, the others weren't able to see her movements. She gave Eren a small nod and he looked over to Hitch standing in front of him; she was close enough for him to distract her. 

He looked up at Levi, his own bright eyes connecting with Levi's quickly dulling ones and he gave a short, hidden nod, hoping Levi would understand to follow his lead. Levi stared back at him, the hand holding his gun shaking slightly. 

Everything happened within the next five seconds. 

Eren pushed away from the ground, pulling against the chains, but freeing his legs from the kneeling position. He swept his leg along the floor, just like he had learned from Levi, and knocked Hitch off balance. She fell to the ground with a screech, the stake dropping out of her hand. 

At the same time, she fired her gun, but the shot must have gone wide without her planning it to do so. Hanji had pulled her hands forward and threw the pocket knife across the room. Eren fearfully watched as it travelled through the air before hitting its target perfectly; the knife stabbing the nearest hunter right in the chest. 

Another gun shot rang out and Eren watched Boris fall to the floor, fallen victim to Levi's bullet. Hanji was already on her feet, running across the room towards Eren. Hitch crawled for her stake, her hand wrapping around it, finger by finger as she turned to Eren, ready to place the stake in his chest. But Hanji's quick movements paid off as she reached the wall, her foot kicking at the lock holding Eren's chains in place. 

The same time Hitch lunged for him, he felt the chain release and he met her halfway, tackling her to the ground, his knee knocking the stake out of her hand in the process. And then he did something which his instincts were nagging him to do. His fangs snapped down, elongating in their glory and his head moved forward with impossible speed. 

His fangs sank deep into her neck. 

He lost all of his attention once the taste of warm, fresh blood slid down his throat. He thought he heard Hanji scream and a thud, but he paid no attention. God, he hadn't attacked a person for years. For years he was forced to drink the disgusting, cold blood from blood bags. It was nowhere near the same as from the source. 

He felt Hitch's body twitch under him just once more before she went completely still, and he knew exactly what was happening. But he continued anyway; there was nothing in the world that would make him leave now. He was missing out all those years. All of this was not fair. Why shouldn't he feed on people? It wasn't fair for him to endure the disgusting liquid instead of having this. He deserved this.

“Eren!” He heard Hanji's scream in the distance, and now that the blood was running out, his senses seemed to have returned slowly. “Eren, please!” 

He blinked, and it was like he was in control again. He looked down and his body froze as he watched Hitch's lifeless eyes stare back at him. He killed someone. 

“Eren!” His head snapped up and he spotted Hanji across the room, holding a body pressed to her chest. 

Hitch's gun shot didn't miss. 

It hit exactly where it needed to.  
(A/N- I was going to finish the chapter here, but I couldn't be so cruel)

~~*~~*~~

He mixed the water around his mouth again and spat it out. He repeated the process, keeping his blank gaze ahead as he tried to get rid of the taste in his mouth. Shivers overtook his body as he cast a short glance towards the bathroom door. Please, Levi. 

Hanji was a profession when it came to first aid; they were lucky in that sense. But just by seeing how panicked she was, Eren expected the worst. He still kept his ears focused on the amounts of heartbeats in the bathroom. 

Hanji didn't allow him inside. Seeing what she must have seen and how he lost control while attacking Hitch, she couldn't trust him around blood, which Levi was completely covered in. He clenched his fists in return and waited, his leg bouncing nervously. 

When the bathroom door opened, he immediately rushed forward and helped Hanji keep Levi's weak body upright. His arm was slung around Hanji's shoulders as she helped him out the door. She shot Eren a cautious glare, but he ignored it and instead wrapped one of his arms around Levi's waist, helping Hanji get him over to the bed. 

“I removed the bullet. But it's a nasty one.” She spoke once they managed to get Levi onto the double bed. “He's drugged up nicely so he shouldn't feel the pain, but the wound isn't going to heal so soon. We might have to stay here for a couple of days.” Eren nodded, his eyes instead skimming down Levi's shirtless torso and to the bandage wrapped securely around his stomach. 

“I'm so sorry.” Eren whispered, his voice cracking. He wasn't sure who he was talking to anymore. “I lost control.” He admitted, to which Hanji simply nodded. 

“You did well.” She commented silently, her hand moving to fix Levi's fringe in place, her fingers smoothing his hair back gently. “You couldn't have done anything about her gun. We still got out of this better than expected.” He wasn't used to Hanji being so quiet, so lifeless. There was even a bruise quickly darkening on her jaw. 

“Do you want me to get you some ice?” He asked instead. 

Hanji sighed, but said nothing, watching Levi silently, her hand still running through his hair. “I couldn't lose him, Eren.” She whispered, her voice cracking halfway through the sentence and he looked over, seeing the tears gathering in her eyes. “He's one of the only people I have left.” He never heard about Hanji's family, and he figured this was the reason. She sat up and sniffled, before bringing her hand up to wipe her eyes. She stood up and looked down at Eren. “I'll get the ice. I need to get more painkillers from the nearest pharmacy.” She paused, hesitating,”I can trust you with him, right?” Her voice seemed steadier than a few seconds ago. 

He stared back at her. This one stunt he pulled today had clearly affected Hanji's judgment of him. “Of course.” He replied firmly, keeping his eyes on Hanji the whole time. 

She sniffled again and nodded before walking over to her bag and packing a few things and grabbing her jacket. She cast him one more wary look before she closed the door behind her. At least this meant she still trusted him. 

He turned to look at Levi, his own hand having a hard time staying in place. Figuring the hunter was almost unconscious, he brought his hand forward and repeated the same gesture Hanji had done previously, gentle running his finger's through Levi's silky hair. “I'm sorry. God, I'm sorry. You almost fucking died because of me.” He whispered passionately, and a part of him hoped Levi was able to hear him. “If I could do it again, I would do anything to stop it. Heck, she should have stabbed me. It would have been better for everybody.” 

“Shut up, brat.” His head snapped to look at Levi. The raven's eyes were closed, but his lips moved. “I promised you I wouldn't let you get hurt.” He slurred slightly, his speech clearly affected by the amount of medicine he was on. “You got hurt cause I didn't keep my promise.” 

“Levi,” Eren murmured, his body tensing at hearing the hunter blamed himself. “You did all you could. You killed three fucking vampires all by yourself.” 

“I had to keep you safe.” Levi murmured, and it was so slurred and so quiet, Eren wasn't sure whether he was supposed to have heard it. 

“And you did. I'm fine.” He assured. 

Levi's eyes opened and looked up right at him, a small smile playing on his lips before he closed his eyes again. “Of course you are. I'm fucking awesome.” He murmured, and Eren couldn't help but let a chuckle escape his lips. 

He watched Levi shiver and immediately stood up, heading for the balcony. Whereas temperature didn't affect him much, even he could tell it was cold in the room. He closed the balcony doors and returned to the bed, bringing the covers up and over Levi. He could still taste the blood in his mouth and all he desired now was to brush his teeth and let himself fall asleep. 

“Eren,” Levi called out, his eyes opening and finding Eren in the room. “What Hitch said...” He started, but Eren cut him off. 

“She talked a bunch of BS.” He finished, biting down on his lip as his gaze swept over Levi one more time in a worry. “I'll be right back.” He promised, hurrying into the bathroom to brush his teeth. What did Hitch say? All Eren remembered was her insisting that Levi cared too much; cared about him. That couldn't possibly be true. 

After he was done, he walked back out and noticed Hanji wasn't back yet. He sighed and looked between the two beds; would it be so bad if he decided to crawl into the bed with Levi? Whereas Hanji was a restless sleeper, Eren was perfectly still. Surely, that would be better if Levi was injured?

He inhaled deeply and decided, heading for the double bed. Making sure Levi was fully covered, he undressed down to a pair of sleeping shorts and crawled under the covers. When he lay down on his back, he turned his head towards Levi and noticed the hunter's eyes were open. “Are you alright?” He murmured. 

When Levi didn't reply, Eren perched his head up on his hand and turned to his side, focusing on Levi. The hunter seemed to be in deep thought and Eren could almost see the cogs twisting in his head as he thought about something. 

“Hitch was right.” Levi finally spoke, his voice a whisper. “I do care. I care a lot. More than I should.” With a wince, Levi turned to his side and faced Eren, although he kept his gaze away from Eren's. “But I can't stop caring.” He added in a murmur, his eyes only then meeting Eren's in the darkness. He doubted Levi could see his own, but he saw Levi's grey orbs perfectly, as well as all the feeling behind them. 

Then Levi did something Eren could have never anticipated. He shuffled forward, his head fitting into the juncture between Eren's neck and shoulder as his arms curled into his chest and he relaxed. Before Eren could say anything, Levi was murmuring again,”I'm cold.” He whispered and pressed even closer to Eren's body, if that was even possible. 

So Eren took it a step further. His own arm moved and wrapped gently around Levi's waist, slowly pulling him forward and being extremely cautious of his wound. Their bodies pressed together and it suddenly became much warmer under the covers. 

“And this isn't cuddling.” Levi spoke up, a growl to his voice. “I'm fucking freezing and I'm so out of it you could probably feed me shit, tell me it was chocolate and I wouldn't know the difference.” He murmured and Eren scowled at the image appearing in his head. He chuckled, his own chin settling over Levi's head as his eyes closed. 

He's never been so warm before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ain't nobody got time for Jean, Armin and the others. Ereri bitches.  
> Has anybody else realized that Levi seems to get his ass kicked whenever it comes to Eren? I don't mean it! But, like, you know: puny humans. But he does it with care. I seem to have too much liking for Levi on medication; it's getting to the point of creepiness. And Hanji! Right? RIGHT?  
> It's really late, and I'm really proud of this chapter, and I really hope you guys liked it. Let me know your thoughts on everything!   
> Thanks you for all the amazing comments on the last chapter! There were so many of them! Maybe I should write more cliffhangers...  
> Thank you guys again! Next update probably around Friday, if not later. Sorry! [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	21. How The Mighty Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi comes to term with his feelings.  
> Armin and Marco realize Jean lied.  
> Eren confronts Levi about said feelings.

Levi woke up cold and in pain. 

The previous warmth which enveloped him was now gone and the excruciating pain which had avoided him so easily yesterday was back worse than ever. He winced each time he moved, a fresh wave of pain shooting up his stomach and spine with every small movement. He reached over to the bedside table and picked up the painkillers and glass of water which, he presumed, Hanji probably left for him.

While he swallowed the pills, he frowned and thought back to how much he must have worried Hanji. Her worried words hit him like a brick and he felt something crawl in the pit of his stomach; she didn't deserve to worry about him, that shitty four eyes. 

He then winced before turning to look at the other side of the bed. The embarrassment crawled up his spine and he felt the tips of his ears burning hot as he realized how extremely corny he was with Eren. He buried his face in his hands and groaned. He felt bad, but not because he continuously encouraged Eren (he could use the excuse of teasing him, after all) but because he enjoyed it. Damn, he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. 

This wasn't supposed to be happening. These feelings were wrong; since when did he even have feelings? Sure, his heart skipped a beat every time he saw a polished, sparkling clean floor. Sure, it skipped a beat every time he took a sip of a perfectly brewed tea. Heck, it even skipped a beat when he saw Erwin shirtless (because, really, he didn't need to be in a relationship with the Commander to appreciate the view) but it certainly was not supposed to skip a beat when Eren looked at him with those lively, bright eyes.

The door to the hotel room opened and he sat up, his hand ready to reach for a blade if anything were to happen. But, what could happen? Hitch was dead, Levi remembered. 

The door first revealed Hanji, who walked through with a grin on her face and a big McDonald’s bag in her hand. “Morning, Ravioli!” She exclaimed and he winced at her loud voice, rolling his eyes as he remembered just how easily she annoyed him. “We got breakfast!” She informed as she put the bag on the nearest table before starting to unpack a grocery bag from her other hand. 

When Eren stepped into the room, it was with a soft, genuine smile on his face. He didn't seem to be affected by last night at all, and Levi wondered whether it was because he was used to it now or whether he was simply blocking out all the negativity. 

The vampire walked over to the bed, standing a mere foot away from Levi. He gave him a small smile as he pushed his hand forward, offering Levi a Starbucks cup. “We picked up some tea.” He spoke, his voice hesitating as Levi eyed the cup carefully. 

Why did he have to look so innocent all of a sudden? With his hair wild and untamed, probably from the wind outside, he looked even more unkempt than usual and the worst thing was, Levi loved it. His hair looked like it wasn't brushed after a night of hot sex and as disgusting as that should have been, the thought was somehow creating a warmth in the bottom of his stomach. 

So, without a word, he accepted the cup and nodded his thanks to Eren who lit up with a grin, like a puppy being praised after learning a new trick. God, he had to get his shit together. 

“I reported to Erwin in the morning.” Hanji spoke while she bit into, what Levi guessed, was a McMuffin. He looked over at the time: 10:37AM. He then groaned and brought his hand up to his forehead, letting his fingers massage his temple. 

“You should have let me done that.” He murmured in reply. Not to brag, but Erwin did have a soft spot for him. Breaking the news of some hunters being murdered definitely did not get Hanji any additional points, whereas with Levi, it would probably slide. Then again, said soft spot could also be bad at times; like when Erwin found out Levi got injured. Again. 

Hanji shrugged, dismissing his opinion. “He was going to send backup.” She told him and he immediately sat up, listening. “But I persuaded him not to. The damage is done and the threat is gone.” She gave him a small smile and bit into her food again. 

He nodded, acknowledging the event and brought the cup to his lips, sipping on the tea. Ah, this did make his heart skip a beat; a good tea could do that to a person. 

“How are you feeling?” Eren spoke up, himself grabbing food from the bag. Levi was quick to note Eren didn't need food to survive and ergo, didn't eat much but when he did, those were the things he really enjoyed. 

“Like I've been shot.” He deadpanned which made Eren's eyes widen and Hanji to snort during yet another massive bite. He frowned at her disgusting behaviour; he swore that if he wasn't the person who forced that woman to shower, then she would not do it often or willingly. “What about you?” He asked instead, sipping on his tea. “That was some show you put on.” 

“Not bad.” Except it clearly wasn't a show, and Levi wasn't sure how to feel about that. 

That was something he could use to persuade himself that pursuing anything romantic with Eren would never work out. In the end, Eren had lost control of himself. Control was something Levi valued above all; to lose control was to lose yourself. He learned that a few years back and since then cut all ties with anything that didn't let him have control over his own actions; Erwin being one of those things. 

The loss of control portrayed Eren as a monster. He could have bitten Hitch and left it; the drugs in the bite would do their job. He could have disarmed her and tied her up. He could have knocked her out. Levi didn't blame him for killing her; oh no, he would have done it himself, but he did blame him for the way he did it. He knew perfectly well Eren didn't feed on humans; to bite a human and lose control because of it seemed like a huge step back. 

Maybe these thoughts would help him stay away from the vampire. 

He looked over at Eren again, smiling as he spoke to Hanji about something. The way that smile lit up his whole face and made the boy seem untroubled was delightful. 

He inwardly sighed; these thoughts were clearly not helping. 

~~*~~*~~

 _Come on, come on, come one,_ Armin mentally chanted to himself as his eyes remained glued on his phone. Or perhaps, more accurately, his eyes lingered on the numerous texts he sent to Eren with no reply whatsoever. He tried to call multiple times too, but all in vain. He must have not had the phone on him. 

Feeling a heavy gaze upon him, he looked up, just managing to catch Mike's gaze across the room before the man turned to continue making coffee. He wasn't surprised anymore that hunters still watched him most of the time; after all, his and Mikasa's lives depended on whether Eren succeeded in finding the journal. Armin hated putting that kind of pressure of Eren; if he were to fail, he knew that Eren would never forgive himself. 

He sent out more text just to make sure. He received no reply. Hannah, one of the nicer hunters, had texted him saying that Eren, Levi and Hanji got into some trouble with other hunters but that everybody was now okay. Was that supposed to make him worry any less? 

“Hey, Armin.” He looked up without a flinch, giving Marco a small greeting smile before looking down at his watch. Marco was slightly early. Then again, Armin expected him and Marco looked like he was surprised that Armin didn't react more to his unpredicted appearance. 

He wasn't easy to scare anymore; after all, Armin lived with Eren Jaeger most of his life. As a kid, Eren was much more lively, and to go a day without the kid somehow making you almost piss your pants was considered an achievement. 

“Hey.” He replied instead, putting his phone down and eyeing the hot chocolate in Marco's hands. It was a cold December day and Armin shivered just thinking about the outside; hopefully, Eren was somewhere a bit warmer. “How's all the work?” 

Marco shook his head slightly, a laugh at his lips. “Going really slow.” He chuckled to which Armin agreed; Christmas break didn't mean they didn't get assignments to finish over the holiday. Marco's eyes dropped down to look at Armin's phone cleverly. “Texting Eren?” 

Armin nodded slightly. “He's not replying.” He murmured, his fingers playing with his phone absent-mindedly. Perhaps, he could call Hanji? 

“Why don't you text Levi? Or Hanji?” Marco proposed and Armin looked up at him surprised; Marco wasn't supposed to know Hanji was with them. He was told the friendly version; Eren was on a trip visiting family with Levi. “What?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he saw Armin's surprised expression. 

“Why Hanji?” Armin decided to ask, hoping to sort out the issue. 

“She's with them looking for that journal, right?” Marco made sure. 

Armin froze. Now, he was surprised. 

“You look like you're about to have a heart attack. Breathe, Armin.” Marco's hand shot out, settling on Armin's shoulder with a comforting weight. 

“How do you know all this?” Armin stuttered over his words. 

Marco raised an eyebrows in confusion before realization set in. “I have a feeling I'm not supposed to know this.” He murmured, shrugging slightly. “I told you, Jean told me everything; and by that, I mean _everything._ ” He chuckled once he saw Armin's bewildered expression. 

“And you're alright with all of this?” That meant that Marco knew about hunters. That meant he knew where Eren, Levi and Hanji really were. That meant he knew Eren and Mikasa were vampires.

Marco shrugged slightly,”I think once you really believe that vampires exist, it's just a small step towards believing everything else.” He chuckled again, the warm smile remaining on his lips. “At this point, if you told me unicorns are real, I'd probably believe you.” 

Armin leaned closer to Marco, his voice lowering,” Marco, you can't tell anyone. You're not supposed to know these things.” 

Marco nodded quickly,”I know. Don't worry.” He assured. “So, what's with Eren not answering? He hasn't texted me back either.” Marco frowned. “He usually replies within like a minute.” 

“He's not allowed.” Armin murmured, his own hands returning to his own hot chocolate to warm up by the heat coming from the scorching drink. He knew well that Marco and Eren talked a lot; it seemed that Eren found it easy talking to Marco. 

“So, hey, what are you doing next Friday?” Armin perked up at the question. Friday was 6 days from now. He would probably be down at the lab. 

“Probably working.” He sighed, giving Marco a meaningful look which meant it wasn't the normal type of working. “Why?” 

Marco frowned at that,”Jean said he would be with you.” He murmured with a shrug, looking down and avoiding Armin's gaze. 

“He lied?” Armin whispered, his head cocking with intrigue at the new act coming from Jean. “Where do you think he's going?” He asked instead, and when Marco didn't answer, he understood. “He's not cheating on you, if that's what you think.” 

Marco gave him a small, sad smile. “I don't really blame him.” 

That angered Armin. Out of all the people in the world, the one person who was better than everybody else was definitely Marco. If there was somebody undeserving in this relationship, it was definitely Jean. “Stop it.” He snapped, instead. “Don't put yourself down. You're the best person I know, Marco. Trust me, Jean is completely into you, and you only. Has been for the past few years.” 

The thought of that made Marco smile slightly. “But, then what is he doing that's so secretive that he would lie about it?”

Armin thought about it for a second. He vaguely remembered Mikasa saying she couldn't hang out next Friday, but he didn't want to worry Marco further by sharing that information. “Good question.” 

~~*~~*~~

“What are you reading?” Levi rolled his eyes but replied with silence, hoping that if ignored long enough, Eren would just leave him alone and get on with an activity of his own. 

He was definitely not in the mood to to put up with the brat: the painkillers were doing shit next to nothing, he was stuck on bed rest and hadn't had a smoke in over five hours since the task of getting out of bed was one which required great skill. And if all that wasn't enough, the little turmoil he had going on inside his head was just frustrating him to no end. 

The bed sank slightly and Levi grumbled as he felt Eren's presence by him. The brat narrowed his eyes and stared at the book cover. Levi continued reading like nothing happened. “Is that French?” Eren spoke up again. 

“Clearly.” Levi snapped simply. Well, if it wasn't English, what other language could it be? It's not like there was much variety to pick from; Levi only knew the two. 

“Hasn't it been translated to English?” Eren asked, a hesitating tone to his question. 

“Yes.” Levi replied simply and when he felt the brat looking at him, he huffed in annoyance and put the book down before levering him with his gaze. “It reads much more fluently in French.” 

“I never took you for a massive reader.” Eren commented with ease. 

“I'm not.” Levi agreed simply. “I find writing a tedious way to express yourself. It's too much fucking effort. I prefer drawing.” Eren smiled at that and Levi couldn't help but smile too, watching as the brat's Caribbean blue eyes lit up. “How long do you think four eyes is gonna sleep?” He grumbled instead, turning away and putting his book down on the bedside table before looking over the lump in the bed on the other side of the room.

Eren shrugged but a small frown crossed over his face. “She's been up almost all night worrying about you.” He pointed out. 

“Right.” Levi murmured uncomfortably, instead picking up his sketchbook from the bag by the bed and finding a pencil between the different weapons stashed in there. Perhaps Eren would leave him alone now. But when he looked up at Eren, the other remained in his place. “Do you mind?” He snapped. 

Eren flushed slightly and nodded once, moving off the bed and onto a chair further away. Perhaps Levi was being too harsh, but ever since he woke up Eren has been nicer than ever; bringing him tea and breakfast, making sure he was comfortable, bringing him more painkillers and trying to spark up conversation each second of it all. This worried the hunter; he didn't want Eren to think something between them changed because he was too fucking soft when high on meds. 

It wasn't two minutes before Eren spoke up again,”Hey, Levi,” He started and Levi stopped the movements of his pencil in exchanged of looking up. “If you weren't doing this, what did you want to do in the future?” 

“I don't know.” He admitted. “Ever since I was a kid, I knew I would be a hunter. The organization pays nicely for what we do. There just didn't seem to be a point in thinking of the future.” And to some extent, that was true. The saved up money on his bank account was enough to last him for a long while. He returned his movements on the paper,”Although I kind of wish I could see the world.” But that was a dream that each person in the world had; it was irrelevant. 

Eren grinned at that,”I always wanted to travel.” His eyes found his camera on the table across the room. “Take pictures of all the amazing places.” He chuckled. “I wouldn't do them justice, but it's a nice thought.” 

“Landscapes are my favourite things to draw.” Levi commented with ease, his eyes focused on the piece of paper in front of him. 

Eren smiled again,”Maybe, one day we could have a trip which didn't have an ulterior motive.” 

A short silence followed as they both silently realised that was a lie. Whatever happened, after this trip was over, so was everything else. There was no possible outcome where this would end well. 

Levi's hand tightened over the pencil he held; Eren had so many dreams and such a long life ahead of him. It wasn't fair for him to die. He focused back on the paper and froze once he realised what he was drawing. He managed a outline of a head and one eye before he quickly shoved the sketchbook back into his bag. Fucking perfect; now he was drawing the brat, too. 

Instead, he gritted his teeth and prepared for pain as he sat up and pushed his body to the edge of the bed. He began to stand up and within a second, Eren was next to him, his arm wrapping around his back. Levi shot him a look and shoved him slightly. “Don't.” He snapped. He was sick of the kid babying him. 

With each step more painful than the next, he grabbed his cigarettes and headed for the balcony.

Once he stood outside and picked up a cigarette, he shivered at the cold wind and realised he stood in just a black shirt in the December weather. He lit up and inhaled a large breath, his eyes closing as the nicotine rushed through his body. 

He heard the balcony door open and sighed, fully knowing who it was. He opened his eyes and watched as Eren came to stand next to him, a jacket in his hand. Without a word, Levi left the cigarette between his lips and grabbed the jacket from him, putting it on quickly. 

He said nothing as Eren shoved his hands into his pockets and stood next to him. 

“I think Hanji said we were going to be leaving tomorrow morning, but if you're not feeling too well then we could stay here another night.” Eren spoke up. 

“What the fuck do you care?” Levi finally snapped, keeping his gaze away from Eren. If his eyes caught those teal-green orbs then he wouldn't be able to say what he wanted to say. 

“What?” Eren murmured back. “What the fuck do you mean? You got hurt saving my ass, of course I care!” He snapped, his temper quickly rising. He did well to keep it in check today but if Levi continued this conversation then that perfect streak would definitely break. “I care! Is that bad?” 

Levi didn't look at him. “You've been acting nice all day. What happened last night doesn't change shit; I'm still your potential enemy and you know that.” 

“Don't fool yourself.” Eren snapped instead. In the corner of his eye, he watched Eren move his hand to his own pocket and bring out a pocket knife. So he took Hanji's advice seriously. 

The knife was shoved into his hand and Eren's hand gripped onto his shoulder. With a wince of pain, he turned towards Eren, the cigarette still between his lips. Eren gripped his hand and brought it forward, resting the blade of his knife against his throat. 

“I don't know where the journal is.” He growled, his hand fisting over Levi's. “Why don't you kill me?” 

Levi levelled him with a patient look, blowing out the smoke into his face. It was almost comic; while Levi's face was calm and collected, Eren's was impatient and indignant. “This doesn't prove anything.” He spoke simply, moving his hand away and handing Eren the knife back. “I'm not supposed to kill you yet.” 

Eren shook his head weakly, “Levi, I'm not stupid.” He spoke, his voice having calmed down slightly. “I know feelings when I see them.” 

Still keeping his eyes perfectly trained on Eren, Levi blew out the smoke and tried to ignore the fact how his heart skipped a beat. “Don't, Eren.” He clearly couldn't deny it; the brat wasn't taking any of it. He opted simply for trying to get him to not say it out loud. He wouldn't be able to deny it then.

Eren stepped closer, his head bending back slightly so he could look down at Levi. “Don't what? Remind you that you might feel something for an abomination like me?” He hissed, his teeth snapping down to display for emphasis. 

“You have no proof that I do.” Levi replied simply, hoping it would make him stop. “Your little crush is simply going too far and you're hallucinating.” 

Eren chuckled then, such an emotionless sound that Levi winced. The vampire's lips lowered, resting by Levi's ear as his hot breath hit cold skin. “I have no proof?” He whispered incredulously. “Since the beginning, you're the one person who didn't look down at me but considered me an equal. You trusted me with your art; something you hardly did for anybody else. You enjoy my presence. You draw me constantly.” That explains the question of whether Eren had seen. 

“You like my face; you admitted it. The first time I kissed you, you immediately kissed me back. You always tried to be on my side, even though I'm your supposed enemy. You tease me constantly and try to find the stupidest excuses to start a conversation.” Eren paused, biting down on his lip as memories resurfaced. “After saving my life, you told me to hang on. You've saved my ass multiple times; you clearly care, you even admitted it. We've kissed, with you initiating, and you never said anything. When you had to talk to somebody, you came to me. You never outright rejected me, even though I gave you the chance.” Levi's throat worked over a gulp as each sentence was true.

“You told me about your past, like Petra, which you don't tell to just anybody. You care if I'm hurt even though I heal perfectly well. You trust me; you stood on a building ledge while you have a fear of heights and trusted me to catch you if you fell. You keep comforting me even though you're one of he rudest people I know. You constantly get hurt to save my life.” Eren breathed it all out and then said nothing, letting all of this seep in during the silence. 

“Is that good enough proof for you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. Getting my Ereri built up before the ultimate test.  
> For Eren's little monologue I basically went through all the chapters and put down everything I thought was important. Of course, I got slightly distracted along the way by Jean's vampire jokes and my hilarious end notes.  
> So! It's kind of confession time cause I think next chapter will leave you with a cliffhanger. I kind of enjoy writing Levi's POV cause I mean, that guy is so full of feelings he doesn't show it's just great.  
> Thanks for still being here with me guys! I see a lot of you enjoyed last chapter, and I'm glad ;)  
> I want to thank you guys for all the recent messages on Tumblr and everything! You don't understand the massive grin that shows on my face when I get a message! Even when I'm explaining something from the fic; it's just amazing!  
> So thank you for the continuous support!  
> Shoutout to my best friend/soulmate who puts up with my continuous talking about this story! She thinks it's bad now, wait until I force her to read the 'steamy' bits I'm planning ;)  
> Thanks again!  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	22. An Order Is An Order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi has to make the ultimate choice; betray the hunters or betray Eren.

He remained sitting quietly, not paying attention to all the movement going on around him. He continued to read his book, which he had read multiple times before, while Hanji went around to pack his bag (after promising it would be neatly packed and to his standards, of course.)

After Eren's little monologue last night, the brat continued with a dramatical exit after asking a rhetorical question. It was clearly strong evidence and Levi couldn't deny it all. After all, Eren was one of the few people in the world that Levi could talk to and act like himself instead of putting on a facade. 

“Are you sure you're well enough to leave?” Hanji asked yet again, her eyes remaining on the task at hand while she addressed Levi. It seemed that Eren stopped asking him about his health and the task had instead been directed to Hanji. 

“I'm fine.” He growled in return, sick of everybody's attention on him. He's had worse wounds. 

He watched Eren from inside his book as the vampire stepped out of the bathroom, washed and dressed. He immediately received a quick glance which told him Eren still worried but didn't voice his thoughts. He returned to his book without a word; even he could feel the tension in the room. 

He felt Eren sit down on the bed next to him as the vampire sighed. Hanji continued to pack, only shooting them a small glance once she saw before turning away with a secretive smile; but Levi saw it and he scowled at the smug expression. “You're a quick reader.” Eren commented with ease. 

Levi turned to look at him, frowning as he indeed realised he was almost done with his book. He nodded with a sigh,”Endings suck.” He commented. 

Eren frowned at that, “Endings are kind of the meaning behind books, right?” He pointed out. 

“Yeah.” Levi agreed simply. “But they suck. You never really get the full story. Even when you get a damn epilogue, you missed out on so many things that happened in between. It's like,” Levi paused, frowning as he realised how deep this conversation quickly turned,” If you're the main character of a story, you want your story to matter, right? But then it ends and it doesn't really matter what kind of a story it is. It just was.” 

“Was that a metaphor for dying?” Eren raised an eyebrow in return to which Levi shrugged. Maybe dying wasn't Eren's main problem; after all, the brat would live forever unless somebody put an end to his life. _Like me._ Eren thought for a second before continuing,”But wouldn't you rather read an amazing story than a meaningless narrative? If you laughed and lived and loved, who cares what the ending is?” 

Levi said nothing as he stared at Eren. Eren was a weird character; there were moments when he was the most foolish person Levi met but then there were moments when he said things like this which made Levi ponder about how smart the brat really was. 

“Come on! We have to leave before 11.” Hanji finally spoke up, and Levi realised she was probably listening in as well. 

Eren stood up and grabbed his bag as well as another one, which Levi quickly recognised as his own before proceeding to leave the room right behind Hanji.

However, he stopped by the doorway and half turned to Levi. “You're responsible for your own story; your own ending.” 

With a bewildered expression and nothing else to say, Levi simply shook his head and followed behind the other two. 

~~*~~*~~

“So, did you know that Shiganshina used to be one of the largest agriculture producers in the country?” Hanji spoke up from the back seat while Levi parked the car in front of the hotel and turned the engine off. He went to open the door when he noticed how frozen Eren had become since they entered the town. 

“Eren?” He spoke, the name rolling off his tongue fluently. “Are you alright, brat?” 

They were finally here.

_The harsh smell of blood almost made him retch as he pushed the door open wider, carefully. He called out for his mother, but got no reply._

“Eren.” 

_The walls were smeared with bloody hand prints. The floor was saturated with blood._

“Eren!” 

His eyes widened and he looked over at Levi, the hunter's hand having gripped his shoulder. He looked up at Levi and nodded once, his eyes still wide. “Sorry.” He murmured. 

In the back, Hanji nodded and cleared her throat before starting to leave the car. Levi let his hand fall away and nodded, his lips pursing as he followed out. Eren remained in the car while they did, staring forward into the streets. 

_He was back._

He didn't want to be back. This exact town was where his childhood was ruined; where his whole life spiralled down; where he lost meaning in living; where the people he cared for the most in the world, were taken from him. 

He snapped out of the depressing thoughts, putting a poker face back on as he got out of the car. He hurried to help Hanji with the bags, shoving past Levi when the hunter tried to pick them up. He was still injured, after all, and there was no way Eren would have him hurting any more. 

Levi huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, his lips pursing as his eyes narrowed in a stern expression. He looked around slowly. “Look at all those big ass trees.” He murmured and Eren looked up for a second; Shiganshina was quite famous for the variety of different flora. 

Hanji perked up at Levi's comment,”Did you know,” She started and the other two rolled their eyes. Hanji had done nothing but spewed out useless facts the whole way here. “-that it is believed many trees hold medicinal properties?” 

“Fascinating.” Levi murmured as Hanji closed the trunk and they followed the shorter hunter into the building. 

~~*~~*~~

“Maybe we should search the obvious places first.” Hanji spoke. A notebook lay in her lap and she played with the pen while her lips pursed and she stared intensely at the paper. “It's something to do with trees, right?” Eren nodded to her question. 

“Okay. Paper is made from trees.” She commented with a shrug. “Is there any factories around?” She directed the question at Levi. 

Levi sat on the bed with a map in his hands. He looked over it quickly. “No.” He rolled his eyes. “And that was a really stupid deduction.” He commented. 

“I got it!” Hanji exclaimed suddenly, making Eren jump while he lay in the other bed. “Trees are tall. The tree is a metaphor for tall buildings.” She grinned over to Levi. “Skyscrapers?” 

“This is quite a small town, four eyes.” Levi murmured, frowning at the map. “The only relatively tall buildings are apartments and I hardly think he would hide a journal under a stranger's bed.” He rolled his eyes again. “And it would take years to search.” 

“So you'd rather give up?” Hanji challenged. 

“No.” Levi rolled his eyes yet again and Eren hid a chuckle at how easily Hanji irritated him. “But given that it is a stupid ass idea, I will ignore it.” 

“Okay. Trees are made from wood. Any buildings made from wood?”

“Once again, this is a small town. There is a shit ton of buildings made from wood!” 

“No need to raise your voice...” 

Eren ignored their little argument and instead let his eyes fall closed. He hummed lightly as he realised how tired he was. He was sleeping even worse than usual; the usual nightmares which involved his parents had now started to include Mikasa, Armin and even Levi. In those, he would rip into one of his friends' neck and drain them dry- just like he did to Hitch. 

He shivered at the thought yet again. But the taste was so different; after trying it not that long ago, he found himself being disgusted with the blood Hanji handed him every day. The horrendous liquid from a cold blood bag was definitely not the same.

He heard Hanji and Levi arguing again, but it was distorted now as his consciousness slowly slipped into a dream. 

_“Why is it so hot?” Eren groaned, leaning back against the massive tree behind him before he huffed again, looking up into the sky with a frown; he looked like he was accusing the sun of making the day hot on purpose. “I'm actually going to die.” He commented before he pulled his shirt off, frowning at the fact that the shade didn't manage to cover him._

_“I doubt it.” Armin piped up from beside him, turning a page in a book and beginning to read again._

_“Eren,” Mikasa murmured from the other side. She was wearing a tank top but the scarf still remained wrapped around her neck. It was kind of endearing. “You're gonna get a sunburn.” She commented, shooting him an accusatory glare._

_He shrugged, ignoring her worry as he huffed at the humid weather again. He was so sick of the sun already. “What are you reading?” He asked Armin instead, hoping the question would be enough to get Armin to talk for the next few minutes._

_“It's about myths and legends.” Armin shrugged slightly and Eren sat up, looking over his shoulder. “It actually has many of the smaller myths so it's not as repetitive.” He pointed out. “It's quite interesting.”_

_Eren sneered as he watched the book over Armin's shoulder. “So now you read about trees?” He chuckled, motioning to a picture on the page._

_Armin shrugged slightly. “According to Norse mythology ash trees were referred to as the 'Tree of Life.'” Armin declared but Eren turned away and closed his eyes, instead trying to enjoy the sun which made him uncomfortable either way. Next to him, Mikasa squirmed under the direct sunlight._

_“Ash trees?” Eren drawled lazily, uninterested._

_“You're leaning on one right now, Eren.” Armin giggled and Eren opened his eyes, looking up at the tree they all sat under. This was their spot; it was not far from his house actually. If his mother looked out the kitchen window and tried hard enough, she would be able to spot them._

_“Right.” He drawled again, yawning as the sun suddenly made him feel tired. “I'm sure it's very interesting.”_

His eyes shot open as he remembered the memory from his childhood and he quickly sat up in the bed. Levi looked completely bored on the bed while Hanji paced the room, rambling about trees. 

_But remember: the answers are never far from home._

_“...it is believed many trees hold medicinal properties?”_

_...a little more healing does a lot more good._

_...both of you are sitting under that old tree again._

_...home always holds many medicinal properties._

_“According to Norse mythology ash trees were referred to as the 'Tree of Life.'”_

“I know where to find the journal.” Eren gasped and both of the hunters turned to look at him in shock. It took less than five minutes to get down to the car.

~~*~~*~~

“I'm actually kind of surprised you came up with that.” Levi spoke as he watched Eren's movements carefully. “Don't scratch the car.” He murmured, looking out the passenger window instead. Eren had convinced them that he should drive. 

“Don't sell him short, Levi.” Hanji murmured from the back and then giggled. Levi turned to shoot her a glare after the jab at his height but turned back to the front with a growl. 

They stopped in the designated place and Hanji got out first, immediately going to the trunk to dig out the shovel which they would need. Levi turned to look at Eren, who sat frozen in the place with his eyes forward and clearly watching the house in the distance. 

“Eren.” He murmured. “You don't have to go, if you don't want to.” Levi spoke low, his eyes glued to Eren as he saw the clear struggle in the vampire's mind. 

“No.” Eren replied quickly. “I'm the one who knows where it could be.” There was that, and then there was the obvious reason that he would be making a run for it as soon he held the journal in his hands. 

Levi nodded and proceeded to leave the car, wincing at the sting of pain coming from his stomach. He straightened and rolled his shoulders and his hand tested the blade stuck to his hip before checking the other for the gun loaded with silver bullets. 

Eren got out of the car and grabbed the shovel from Hanji. He began heading towards the house with Hanji and Levi following. Hanji nudged Levi with her elbow and brought her hand up, touching her fingers to her temple before pointing at Eren and then sliding two fingers across her throat horizontally. 

Levi nodded; Hanji was reminding him that the mission was to kill Eren when they got the journal. 

They passed the house and Levi watched Eren with a frown. Eren did everything to get away from this place and all the memories it held and now because of all of this, he was back here and reliving all those horrible memories. 

When they came to a stop it was by a big tree. Eren sighed and looked up at it. “It seemed much bigger when I was younger.” He admitted. Levi felt something tighten in his chest but tried to persuade himself it was from the wound. 

Eren looked at the ground around the tree and narrowed his eyes. Hanji had taken to stand a few steps away from them, looking around in case anybody saw them digging around in the darkness. Levi, however, took his position a mere step from Eren. It seemed Eren chose a spot- Levi wondered if it was any special- and began digging. 

With his unnatural strength and stamina he was digging through faster than a human would be able to. Levi exchanged a gaze with Hanji and frowned; he only hoped Eren wouldn't make a run for it. If he looked close enough, he could see Hanji had the high-pitched device stuck in her belt and Levi knew well that Hanji still had a small amount of dead man's blood somewhere; he hoped she wouldn't have to use it. 

It was a few minutes later when Eren dug a rather large hole that he stopped and wiped his forehead. “Armin and I always wanted to bury something in this exact spot. To show that we were here, you know?” He murmured. “And we did.” He reached down and Levi heard a clutter. He saw Hanji straighten and he himself stiffened. 

Eren picked out a box and put it down on the ground. He stared at it for a second, deciding. Levi himself was getting more tense with each second. 

_“An order is an order.”_

_“Just like Petra?”_

_“This isn't the same.”_

He opened the box and reached in. For Levi, something cracked once he saw Eren's hand emerge with an old-looking book in his hand. Eren stood frozen in his spot, staring down at his father's journal in his hand. Levi could almost see all the thoughts and emotions running through the vampire. 

Eren's hand tightened over the book and his eyes remained on it for a long time. None of them moved. Hanji's hand had slowly moved to her belt while Levi did the same discreetly. 

It was then that Eren looked up at him and Levi instantly knew what was about to happen; he saw it in his eyes. 

He gave Hanji a hand signal at the same time that he saw Eren's nails elongate into claws. Hanji clicked the button and the device wailed, the high-pitched frequency sounding off into the night. 

Eren groaned and dropped to his knees. One of his hands held the journal to his chest while the other dug into the ground in pain. Levi felt his knees weaken under his form once he saw it. “Eren.” He warned, trying to keep his voice level and as emotionless as possible. 

“No.” Eren hissed out. 

Levi reached to his belt, his hand gripping his beloved silver blade as he pulled it out. He pointed the sharp end towards Eren and gave Hanji a meaningful look. Hanji turned the device off and Levi watched as Eren struggled to his knees, looking up at Levi with gritted teeth. “Eren, hand it over.” Levi whispered, his voice carrying well enough in the night. 

Hanji had instead swapped to her gun and Eren heard the safety click off as the gun was pointed at him. Levi was still severely injured; perhaps Eren had a chance of outrunning him but if he so much as made the wrong move, Hanji would put a silver bullet to his chest which would definitely immobilize him for long enough for it to be dangerous. 

“Levi,” Eren breathed, his eyes looking up at the hunter. “I can't let you take it.” 

“Why the hell not?” Levi growled, his fists tightening. Eren was making it all so much more complicated. If he just handed the journal over, maybe Levi would be able to persuade Erwin into keeping the brat alive. 

“Some vampires are monsters, I agree.” Eren spoke, his voice harsh and hoarse and the pain still present in it. “But not all of us. Whatever is in this journal: my father wanted it kept hidden from hunters. I can't let you take it back.” 

“Do you want to die, Eren?” Levi snapped, his hand shaking slightly as he neared the blade to Eren's chest. The vampire's teal-green orbs drilled into his own grey ones with confidence and bravery; he really would die for this. 

“I'm willing to die for this.” Eren agreed. 

Hanji made a broken sound and Levi watched her with the corner of his eye. “Eren, please.” He tried, hoping to persuade the brat. This didn't have to end in bloodshed. 

Eren let a smirk pass over his lips for just a second. “The question is, Levi,” He spoke back and got up from his knees. Levi kept the blade trained on his chest. “Are you willing to kill me?” 

“An order is an order.” Levi growled in return, nudging his sword against Eren's chest harder for emphasis. “My order is to kill you once we get the journal. You can hand it over voluntarily and I will make up a story about your escape.” Perhaps, with his injury, Erwin would believe him. “Or you can stand your ground and die.” 

Eren slightly turned to look at Hanji, who looked away to the ground as to not meet his gaze. She had gotten too close to him as well. He turned back to Levi, “You're injured, Levi. Don't make me hurt you.” He whispered. 

Levi arched a brow at the sentence. He watched Eren's nails elongate again. The movement was quick, worthy of the best, as Eren's claws struck Levi's blade and shoved it away as his body turned, ready to run. A gun shot rang out and Eren fell instantly; the smell of blood rose in the air. 

Levi snapped out of it and looked down, seeing the bullet wound in Eren's shoulder which was making the vampire hiss in pain. He clenched his fists; an order was an order. There were no personal feelings in this business. 

He stepped forward, his foot shoving down at Eren's chest to keep the vampire level with ground. His blade knocked the journal- which lay on the ground- further out of reach and he turned to Eren again. 

“I'm sorry.” He simply said. 

Eren sneered at him, “You're so fucking afraid to disobey your precious orders.” He hissed, his fangs snapping down in what Levi thought was supposed to be a threatening move. 

“Shut up.” He growled in return. “You know nothing about orders or obedience.” He snapped quickly, his fists clenching even tighter as adrenaline hit his body. “You're just an orphaned bloodsucker with a death wish.” 

Eren froze under his foot and Levi heard Hanji's breath hitch under the impact of those words. Eren laughed then, a cold, emotionless laugh which pulled right at Levi's heartstrings. “You're right.” He simply spoke. 

Levi sighed, his chest constricting with pain. “You think I want to do this?” He whispered, trying to lower his voice so Hanji wouldn't hear as much of the conversation. 

Eren didn't reply. He turned away, the side of his face against the ground and in the moonlight Levi saw the teal-green orbs begin to well up and become brighter as a result. “Is that all I am?” Eren whispered softly. “Just a kill order?”

_“An order is an order.”_

_“Just like Petra?”_

Levi looked over to Hanji for a second. Her gaze was trained on him but told him nothing. 

He then turned back, his gaze instead dropping to the ground so he wouldn't have to look at either of them. His hand tightened over the blade,”I'm sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- dodges tomatoes-  
> Well, what did you think he was gonna pick?  
> Gah, the next chapter is gonna be hard to write. So, you can probably expect an update around the weekend...I also go back to school on Thursday.  
> But, yeah, I'm moving on with the plot now. The story is probably going to be around 30 chapters long. Gah, I still can't find a good place for Erwin in it and it really pisses me off. Ugh, writing this chapter almost made me cry, but that could've been to do with the fact that it was like 4am when I did.  
> And if I'm not busy enough, I downloaded dmmd and I've been at it like all day. I need to get Aoba with Noiz and then I'll be happy. Ugh, it's become an unhealthy obsession. I'm probably going to read fanfiction in a second.  
> Thank you guys for the massive support with the kudos and the comments and all! This story has actually become much bigger than I thought it would! I mean, damn, there's more than 11K reads!  
> Thanks for following me on [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/) and sending me messages there too, btw! Thanks for everything and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!  
> -Manga Spoilers-  
> Whew, so Levi is great and he's a badass mofo. God, I just can't take it with his skill level. And he's absolutely gorgeous! But now, I don't really want Jean to die either! Or Mikasa! I kinda started liking them both ffs.  
> Anyway, bye!


	23. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Perhaps this really was goodbye._

He then turned back, his gaze instead dropping to the ground so he wouldn't have to look at either of them. His hand tightened over the blade,”I'm sorry.” 

His gaze rose to look straight at Hanji and he gave her a pained expression. While watching Hanji's movements to determine her next action, he addressed Eren,”You're not Petra.” 

The blade dropped to the ground. 

Hanji's eyes widened and she immediately retreated her own weapon, following Levi. Did he really expect her to act any other way? She always trusted him and she knew perfectly well what it cost him to make this decision. She gave him a small, proud smile; just because something was an order, it didn't automatically make the action an ethical thing to do. 

Eren remained frozen for a second but as soon as Levi's foot left his chest, he used his exceptional speed to get to his feet and pick up the journal along the way. He was ready to run but once he got a few feet away, he paused. 

The ball dropped; that one sentence, that simple sentence from Levi, could mean so many different things. 

He turned to face said hunter and kept his ground. Their eyes connected and something inside his chest felt heavy. 

“Hanji,” Levi spoke, his voice firm in the darkness of the night. “Report to Erwin.” He told her, looking away from Eren for just a second to give Hanji a meaningful look. “Tell him Eren got away with the journal.” 

Eren's mouth opened, wanting to interject something but no words came out. Levi let him escape. The hunter wanted him to get away. He was willing to take on the consequences of his actions as long as Eren survived. 

Hanji nodded once, but Levi saw the glint of hesitance in her eyes. She wasn't saying it but he knew perfectly well what she was thinking: Erwin wouldn't believe Eren got away when Levi was here. If Eren did, in fact get away, that only meant that Levi wanted him to and there would be consequences to him making that choice. But she got the clear hint in the order; Levi wanted her to leave. This was a confrontation which Hanji didn't need to be a part of. 

She turned on her heel, returning her gun to its original place. A smirk rose on her lips slowly; she knew Levi would pick Eren. She knew the hunter for too long to not know exactly how he felt about the vampire. Eren was never like Petra, and he never would be. 

Once Hanji was out of hearing range, Levi turned back to Eren. A few feet of solid ground separated them. 

“Why?” Was the simple question Eren asked. 

“You're right.” Levi replied simply. “You were fucking right. What you said was more than enough proof.”

So he really was nothing like Petra. Unlike Petra, he was used to being a vampire; he knew how to control it and how to use it to his advantage. Unlike Petra, he didn't need to keep bothering Levi to get the hunter to like him; since their first meeting, Levi was interested. Unlike Petra, he knew when he was in danger and to not trust hunters. Ultimately, unlike Petra, Levi returned his feelings. 

“Eren, hear me out.” Levi spoke, taking step closer but instinctively, Eren took a step back. 

Those teal-green orbs were wide with disbelief, betrayal and fear. He wasn't sure what to do next. “Hear you out?” He echoed with disbelief, a sneer present on his face. His head shook and his lips fell agape as a breathless , emotionless laugh left his lips. “You just put a blade to my chest!” 

Levi froze with understanding. He hoped his actions would be forgiven the moment he let him go, but a part of him knew perfectly well that attempted murder was not something anybody could let go. “I chose you!” He exclaimed in return, his fists clenching. “I chose you over everybody else! I betrayed some of the people closest to me, for you! So I fucking think I deserve to be heard out!” 

Eren clenched his fists, willing himself to calm down as he realized his nails were elongating. As to not break the journal, he took a large breath and exhaled slowly, giving Levi a small nod. The hunter was right, after all. 

“What I just did is treason. I can be killed for my betrayal.” Eren's eyes widened at the statement; it seemed a bit too much of an exaggeration. “We all have to sign contracts when we become hunters. The rules are clear, and I just broke the most important one.” Levi looked away, his thoughts quickly revolving around his next actions. “If you're willing to come back to the hotel, we can work out a safe getaway for you. They're going to come after you.” 

“What about you?” The question spilled out of Eren's mouth before he even realized. 

“I'll be fine.” It was a complete lie and Levi silently wondered since when did he start to care about his life less than others. Oh yeah, _always._ “Are you coming back with me or are you going to take your chances?” 

Eren eyed him warily. He wasn't sure whether Levi was completely serious. After all, how much could he really trust him? But, it seemed Levi undeniably trusted him; the roof incident instantly came to mind. He wasn't stupid either; he knew perfectly well that hunters wouldn't let him get away with the journal. His best bet would be to read it, destroy it and then keep running. But then, there was also the problem with Mikasa and Armin. 

“I'll come.” He told Levi, because even if the trip back wouldn't help him much, he needed to persuade Levi to help Mikasa and Armin get away. “But what about Hanji? She might not share your choice.” He shot at the hunter. The pain in his shoulder reminded him of Hanji; granted, she clearly didn't want to kill him either. If she was aiming for killing him, she would have shot at his vulnerable chest, not his shoulder. 

“She trusts my choices.” Levi replied simply, his tense shoulders drooping as he bent down to pick up his blade. Slowly, he grabbed the weapon and kept his eyes on Eren; he could see the vampire's tense shoulders. He nodded once, to show that he meant no harm, as he returned his weapon to its place. He then turned and headed out to the street, only then realizing Hanji must have taken the car. 

He sighed and sent her a quick text. They would have to walk back to the hotel and he could already feel the heart to heart talk Eren would no doubt start. But, Levi knew, this was a talk they would need to have. Also, feeling Eren was on edge, he texted Hanji once again to not be at the hotel when they got there. 

Seeing the circumstances they were in, Eren tried to keep as much of a gap between them as he could while they walked down the sidewalk. This would be a long walk. 

~~*~~*~~

The second time his phone rang loudly and his ring tone pierced through the silent night, he realized he really should have picked up. Erwin's name lit up the screen but Levi ignored the call yet again; he knew exactly what Erwin would say, and he was already in no mood to talk technicalities. 

He also received a text from Hanji, saying she could get them on a flight Thursday afternoon at the earliest. Due to New Years being on Wednesday, there was no other choice. With the day being Monday now (even though it was probably around midnight), this still meant they had a few days to kill in town. 

The quiet walk was probably as awkward as it would get. Eren had not spoken a word to him and he wasn't sure whether that was because the vampire was shocked into silence or because he was repulsed by Levi's presence alone. 

“This is probably the longest you've ever kept your mouth shut.” Levi commented with a shrug. 

“What am I supposed to say?” Eren replied with ease, his eyes not straying from the ground as he spoke. He didn't trust himself to look at Levi. “You were right; you're still my potential enemy.” 

Levi cringed slightly; he hoped to show Eren that this was not the case. Eren could be his potential enemy, but Levi would never be Eren's; not anymore. 

Realizing he was probably slightly harsh after everything Levi had done for him in the last hour, Eren sighed. “I didn't mean that.” He murmured. “I just have a lot on my mind, right now.” He added quietly to which Levi simply nodded. 

Once they reached the hotel and went up to the penthouse in the elevator, Levi used a card to open the door to the large apartment and walked in with Eren trailing behind. Hanji was nowhere to be seen and Levi was silently grateful. 

He gave Eren a small glance before he started rummaging through his bag, his mind working over all the possible scenarios Eren might encounter and anything he would need to stay safe. 

“What's going to happen to Armin and Mikasa?” Eren asked him while Levi searched for the most accurate map they had. 

Levi paused for a second, remaining sitting on the bed before he looked up at Eren. “You can't go back for them. You'll die.” He spoke quickly and firmly. Eren gave him a glare but Levi continued,”Nobody will be able to hurt Armin; he's human.” Levi then paused and thought through his next words. “They won't kill Mikasa. She's their blackmail material to get you back in town. They know you won't leave her, so that's exactly what you have to do.” He sighed then, his eyebrows furrowing as he returned to the task at hand. “I'll do my best to keep her alive as long as I can. I don't know the extent of my authority, anymore. Hanji can help me stage an escape when it comes to it.” So Levi was willing to risk himself even further. 

“Can't I help her escape?” He didn't even bother saying anything about Jean; as long as they didn't know Jean was a vampire, everything was fine. 

“They'll be expecting that.” Levi repeated again as he brought out a map out of the bag and looked it over, nodding to himself. He picked up an empty backpack and started packing essentials into it. Eren watched as Levi walked over to the mini fridge and took out a few blood bags before dropping them in as well. 

He couldn't put his finger exactly on why Levi was doing all of this. 

“Just promise me one thing,” Levi spoke up again as he stood up and headed over to Eren, the filled backpack now in his hand. “Feed all you want, anywhere you want but don't kill anybody. Those are innocent lives, and it won't help if you leave a trail of dead bodies.” He held the backpack out for Eren to take. 

Eren took it hesitantly, keeping his eyes firmly on Levi's. Levi didn't move as Eren swung the backpack over his shoulder; this was his cue to leave. Levi looked over him once more, his piercing grey gaze measuring him from head to toe slowly. 

He turned to walk away, which Eren thought was his goodbye but Eren grabbed his forearm before the hunter could leave. Levi turned instantly, his eyes widening slightly at the quick movement, but he said nothing as Eren turned him back around. 

“Why?” Eren asked again, feeling like he was repeating himself. 

“I told you.” Levi replied simply, a shrug to his shoulders as he looked away. If anything, Eren would consider the gesture almost shy, but that wasn't Levi; he, instead, was reluctant. 

“What did you mean?” Eren asked instead, hoping to understand the hunter a bit more. Levi surprised him with each day and today was no exception. “What did you mean when you said I'm not Petra?” 

Levi's eyebrows furrowed slightly but he didn't look up to meet Eren's intense gaze. “I meant exactly what I said.” Levi replied. “I had to kill her and I did it with hardly any remorse; I was following orders after all. But you...” Levi trailed off and paused, biting down on his lip. “I couldn't kill you, Eren. I didn't realize it, but I'm not capable of killing you. I never was. I was trying to fool myself into thinking that I could so that I didn't feel bad.” 

“Why would that make you feel bad?” Eren snapped, gritting his teeth as his hold on Levi's forearm tightened. “I never did anything which would provoke you to kill me.” 

Levi shook his head slowly, “You don't understand.” 

Eren's grip tightened, but at this point he didn't care even if he did leave a bruise on the hunter's skin. He needed to hear this confession. “Then make me understand!” 

Levi's piercing eyes snapped up to meet his and Eren gasped at the intensity behind those dark orbs. “My mother was killed by your kind. My father, a hunter, blamed me for the whole thing. He hated me for not stopping them. Her blood was and always will be on my hands.” Levi growled. “I should never hesitate when it comes to killing vampires. If I had followed his order and stayed home, my mother might still be alive and my father wouldn't hate me.” 

Eren's eyes widened at the new confession. This clearly justified Levi's obsession of following orders. “You were a kid!” He exclaimed, his head shaking with disbelief. “You can't be blamed for something like that!” His grip pulled Levi closer. “It was not your fault.” He growled, so used to hearing those words himself. At some point in his life, he thought the same thing about his own parents. If he and Mikasa had stayed home, perhaps his parents wouldn't be dead. 

Levi said nothing for a minute, choosing to stare down at the floor. “She loved me, and I killed her.” He whispered then. “I couldn't let a repeat happen.” 

Eren's eyes widened once again at the silent accusation in Levi's statement. “I...-” He stuttered but came up with no answer. Love was perhaps too strong of a word just yet. He never knew what love felt like, except for the love you feel for your family and friends. 

“Relax.” Levi drawled, instead. “I'm not saying you're in love with me. But I do know you feel something for me and I feel...-” Levi stopped and looked up, daringly looking into Eren's eyes. “And I'm not letting it get out of control because I'll only disappoint you.” 

But the real reason behind everything hit Eren clearly: _You're not Petra. Unlike her, I feel something for you._

Levi returned his feelings. 

Suddenly, everything made sense and today's events dissolved as a small smile grew on Eren's lips. This was probably as close to a love confession as he would get. He released his grip on Levi and instead leaned forward, his lips coming to rest not far from Levi's ear as the hunter shivered under his warm breath. “Come with me.” 

Levi froze and his body immediately tensed at the suggestion; Eren feared he went too far. “How can you trust I won't stab you in the back?” Levi murmured in reply. _So it wasn't a no,_ Eren noted.

“Because you love me.” Eren used the word boldly and watched carefully for Levi's response. He was expecting a denial, but Levi simply smiled lightly. 

“I probably do.” He admitted and Eren grinned as he pulled away and looked the hunter in the face. “But that doesn't change the fact everybody will want you dead. I'll just hold you back and unlike you, I don't heal, need more sleep and need actual food to survive. We won't get far.” 

Eren instantly frowned, “So you'd rather give up?” His free hand had started its journey up Levi's arm and now gripped onto his shoulder. Levi gave it a brief glance before looking up at Eren again. 

Eren thought he looked tired. “I'd rather you lived.” Levi answered simply. “If I leave with you, who's going to help Mikasa escape? Or make sure your little Blondie is safe?” He pointed out cleverly, when he knew that those two particular figures were very important to Eren. “You should go, Eren.” Levi hand gripped his shirt and pulled him down. With a gasp of surprise, their lips met and Eren instantly kissed the hunter back. The kiss was deep but slow, savoring each taste and texture. If Eren didn't know better, he would think it was a goodbye kiss. 

When Levi pulled back and motioned towards the door, Eren didn't move. “You're acting like this is the end.” He whispered, his hand cupping Levi's cheek and watching as the hunter gave in and leaned into the touch. 

“You never know.” Eren didn't have enough time to react before Levi's arms wrapped around his waist and the hunter's head buried itself in his chest, hugging him tightly. He couldn't help but let his affection for Levi grow even more when he acted like this; Eren always knew Levi was silently a giant teddy, or well, a tiny teddy. 

Wrapping his arms back around Levi, Eren kissed the top of his head and sighed. Maybe it was for the better. With him out of the picture, Levi wouldn't be forced to continuously pick between Eren and his closest friends. 

Levi pulled back and composed himself. “Go, Eren.“ He gave him a slight shove towards the door and bit down on his lip to not say any more. 

Eren stared at him for a second, but understanding settled in; Levi was probably right. He usually was. 

He leaned down and pecked the hunter's lips once more before he turned his back on the other and headed for the door. He paused just before it; since when did he listen to Levi, anyway? _Since whenever you didn't, he usually got hurt. Before you showed up, he was perfectly fine._

He gave a firm nod to reassure himself and sighed. He could feel Levi's eyes piercing eyes drilling into his back but he didn't turn around; if he did, then there was a high chance he wouldn't be able to leave at all. 

He reached for the doorknob and left the room without a word, the backpack suddenly heavy on his back and something tightening in his chest with regret. 

_Perhaps this really was goodbye._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, HEAR ME OUT! Originally, I wasn't going to post this chapter today and it was supposed to be twice as long but I decided to cut it all into two chapters instead because of reasons. And, I probably enjoy cliffhangers way too much.   
> Thank you for all the AMAZING comments on the last chapter! I didn't expect so many of you to show up and...throw tomatoes at me. Just kidding, but they amount of response was amazing! I can't believe how many of you thought it would come to Levi trying to kill Eren. I mean, damn guys, I must be giving out shit clues.   
> There's probably a lot of things that don't make sense in this chapter, but oh well, just bear with me. I'm half sleep deprived and half dead; school started up again and after only two days, the bastards thought it would be fun to give me a ton of homework. If that's not bad enough, my sleeping pattern is still fucked over from the holidays. So, it might take me some time to update next. Maybe updates will come on weekends now...I don't know. Depends on how much work I get.  
> I would like to take a second to point out that any art is very welcomed and let me know if you do draw any so I can link I back to the story :) Unfortunately, my boyfriend drew the line of drawing things for me when it came to gay porn. What a pussy.   
> Once again, thank you for the amazing feedback and all! We reached 12K hits! My goal really is to reach 100K words with this story.   
> I developed an addiction with 'Survey Corpse' on YouTube. I basically wait for every Saturday to come. You should check it out! I'm slowly considering writing a zombie au ereri story.   
> THANK YOU!   
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	24. Wolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since when does Eren listen to Levi?
> 
> Warning: smut

_“Mark my words, Levi. You're going to get hurt because of that kid.”_ Erwin had told him once.

He lasted a short minute in his own deafening silence before the lack of air made him feel like his lungs were collapsing. In a hurry, he grabbed his pack of cigarettes and headed for the door, once again cursing about the lack of a balcony in their room. 

He headed into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor, remembering one of the workers explaining how there was a designated area for smoking up on the roof. His fists clenched as the silence taunted him; his eyes closed slowly. He wasn't used to the silence now. 

Once, he enjoyed and treasured silence but recently, with Eren around, the brat was always talking so Levi had gotten used to it. Silence felt strange now. 

Reaching the roof, he lit his cigarette the moment he was out the door. He inhaled quickly and closed his eyes, enjoying the nicotine coursing through his body before he blew out slowly. He remembered Eren telling him off for smoking so much, once, and the rude response of a middle finger it got him in return. His free fist clenched; he had to get his shit together. 

Eren left, and because he did, he would now be safer. That's all that mattered, right?

There was a part of him that still hoped Eren would fight. Usually, the brat was defiant in everything he did and this one time when Levi needed him to fight for something, he just gave up.

He leaned back on the wall and sighed, watching the smoke evaporate in the chilly, night air. He should start making plans for when they came back. Normal people would be out making plans for New Years right now, but apparently, his plans were much different. In comparison, he had to plan a treason, escape and avoid murder: wonderful. 

He looked up at the sky and frowned at the stars staring back at him. He remembered watching the stars with Petra once; that girl was corny and sentimental, but it was a part of her charm. He would lie if he said he didn't miss her sometimes. 

The door to the roof opened and he ignored whoever it was that came in. The stars were clear in the sky; the city wasn't as big as he was used to and the lack of air pollution made the sky a much more beautiful sight. 

“I'm not exactly sure how to go about with this.” His eyes widened and his mouth opened agape, the cigarette dropping to the ground as he straightened and looked at the figure who just arrived. 

Eren stood there with a soft smile on his face, his hand awkwardly scratching at the back of his neck. 

“Eren...” Levi breathed out but then stopped, words getting lost. There were too many things he wanted to say. 

“I mean, do I serenade you? Do I act all cool and ask you for a cigarette? Or do I run in, pick you up and spin around?” Eren paused and chuckled low, a genuine smile lighting up his lips. “I have a feeling I'll get slapped for any of these.” 

“Eren, why?” Levi asked, and hoped he would get the answer he craved. 

“It's all my fault, after all.” Eren spoke up, the smile vanishing slowly as he shrugged and took a few steps towards Levi. 

“Your fault?” Levi asked incredulously. “How is any of this your fault? Because you came into a coffee shop where I worked and ordered a coffee?” Levi shook his head slightly, before a smirk made its way to his lips. “If you do want to blame yourself then blame those fucking bright eyes of yours. How can anyone stay away from them?” 

Eren grinned, his arms wrapping around the hunter and pulling him closer. “Well, then, I guess we're both to blame and we gotta sort this shit out together.” 

Levi scowled slightly,”Hanji was right; you're starting to sound more like me every day.” Eren grinned even wider. “I thought I told you it would be better if you left.” Levi pointed out simply, facing away to not look into Eren's lively, bright eyes. 

“Since when do I do what you tell me to?” Eren replied with a shrug, his arms tightening around the hunter's waist and Levi allowed it. He was right to some extent and one example sprang to mind instantly; Eren didn't listen when Levi told him to save the teenage girls and run. Instead, he tried to play hero and succeeded. 

Levi regarded him with a careful gaze, cogs twisting as his mind worked over everything that happened and would happen next. “I could still put a knife in your back.” He commented with a shrug, trying to seem nonchalant instead of nervous, which is exactly what the brat's hands on his body were reducing him to. 

Eren smirked then, fully seeing through Levi's bullshit as his hands snaked to the front of the hunter's body. He pulled aside the leather jacket and reached in, his hand firmly gripping the silver blade stashed in the hunter's belt. “No, you can't.” 

And he was perfectly fine with that. 

~~*~~*~~

Closing the door behind her, Mikasa called out for Armin but didn't receive a reply which simply confirmed that he was not home and most probably, still working with the hunters back at their base. 

She put the keys into the bowl she so desperately was trying to get the guys to use (to not lose their keys, which Eren managed twice within a month) and trailed into the house, frowning at the dead flowers. She had to remember to change them. 

She put all her things on the counter and reached into the fridge, taking out a blood bag and placing it down on the counter before she reached for a cup. She had just come back from a night shift (with the time now being 3AM) and somehow, her body felt heavier than usual. 

Working alongside Annie became hard. They weren't the most talkative pair before, but now, things were even quieter as the thoughts of Annie being a crazy murderer ran through Mikasa's mind. The before unspoken of soft, accidental touches and kind looks were also forgotten and they returned to square one. 

As she brought the full cup up to her lips, her eyes found her phone on the counter. It's been a week since Eren left with Levi and she had not heard from him once. She tried contacting him- obviously- but with the lack of replies, all she could do was hope he wasn't dead. 

She could feel the blood starting to pulse around her body all over again and closed her eyes slightly at the feeling. She should have been ashamed of the gesture, but she had learned to accept the fact that blood brought her pleasure. 

Back when they were still kids and she was newly turned, she couldn't control her blood lust as easily as the rest of the Jaeger's. And through it all, Eren was there for her; a comforting hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to fight it and control it. If she didn't control it, she was no better than the vampires who murdered people for their own pleasure. 

She didn't feel the tear cascading down her cheek but she quickly wiped it, just in case Armin decided to come in through the door the very moment. 

And that was what got her through the rest of this miserable life. Back then, Eren told her to fight it. If you don't fight, you can't win. She fought ever since. 

The door opened and her shoulders relaxed slightly as the thought of Armin being back brought comfort. With Eren not being here, Armin was the only one she had left; the only one she knew she could protect. 

It only took a second, a valuable second, as the odd smell reached her nostrils and she immediately realized it wasn't Armin who came into their house. But before she could react at the intruder, a familiar high pitched wail rang in the air and she whimpered, dropping the cup and letting her hands fly to try and cover her ears. 

The screech immobilized her, reduced her to a quivering mess on the floor and she gasped as she felt blood ooze out of her ear. Two figures came into the kitchen, dressed in black with silver accessories hanging from their belts: hunters. 

She snarled, letting her fangs drop down in a threatening manner but she couldn't make a move. Not with that horribly painful wail still in the air. 

She immediately recognised one of the hunters as Mike, the blond who worked at the café most days, but the other was unfamiliar to her. A girl with messy, blonde hair and silver coloured eyes with a pair of framed glasses; she didn't look like much, but a certain professionalism in her eyes told Mikasa she was a good hunter. 

While she was a mess, Mike had grabbed her by the arms and forced her up, murmuring something Mikasa couldn't hear to the other hunter. She took the chance to bring her knee up and kick him right in the stomach, which made the man bend in half and allowed Mikasa to plant a kick straight to his face. 

With her hands still over her ears, she turned with a flinch and a spreading pain hit her as the other hunter had taken her time to walk up and grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back with an expert move. Mikasa screamed as the wailing became louder once her ears were uncovered.

The girl held her in a hold, and Mikasa gathered her strength, letting her nails elongate. She took down her other hand, flinching at even louder wailing, and then swiftly spun around, freeing her hand in the process and attacking the hunter. 

Her claws raked over the girl's arm and the latter hissed in pain, her hand grabbing at a stake by her belt. Mike had recovered and returned with a stake of his own. Mikasa was cornered, and the high frequency of the noise was weakening her with each second; she could feel more blood cascading down her neck from her ear. 

Another pair of footsteps sounded and she flinched at the thought of more hunters. She snarled, her eyes instinctively closing tightly at the pain spreading through her temple but she forced them open, her pupils dilating with adrenaline. She snarled in a threat again as one two more figures rounded the corner. 

She hissed at the tall, blond man she knew well to be Commander Erwin Smith. With his arms crossed, he gave her a stern look but said nothing, instead opting to just stare. Behind him, in his shadow, stood a girl Mikasa had met before: Ymir was her name, she thought. Unlike Erwin, Ymir looked almost uncomfortable. 

“Take her in.” Erwin commanded and Mike nodded, expertly twisting the stake in his hand. Mikasa spotted the other hunter taking out a pair of silver handcuffs. She crouched into a defensive position, her knees wobbling slightly under all the pain. 

“You traitor.” She hissed at Erwin, glaring at him. “We had a deal.” 

“They got the journal and Eren made a run for it.” Erwin told her sternly, no expression in his eyes but perhaps curiosity. “I thought you should know.” 

She paused momentarily, her mouth opening to deny it, to tell him he was wrong; Eren would never betray them like this. He knew what would happen to her and Armin if he did. Were their lives worth so little? 

The momentary paused was enough to give the hunters an advantage. She felt the silver pierce through her leg, and then Mike was grabbing for her clawed hands. She felt the snap of silver handcuffs on her wrists and right after, felt the burn of it on her skin. She hissed in pin but struggled; she wouldn't give up. 

If you don't fight, you can't win. 

She shoved at them, using her shoulders to her advantage and managed to knock Mike to the ground again, using his heavy weight against him. She twirled at the other hunter but the ground under her disappeared as the girl tripped her and then placed her heavy boot on her neck, a stake at the ready in her hand. 

Suddenly, it all became too much. She could feel the loss of blood from both her leg wound and the noise constantly on repeat. Her vision blurred for a second and she blinked fiercely, trying to keep her eyes open. 

In the end, the darkness won. 

~~*~~*~~

They were sat on the bed, side by side and both in the exact same position of feet firmly on the ground and something in their hand. Whereas Levi held a map to try and work out if they had a possible escape route (when push came to shove), Eren held the journal in his hands. 

“What if there's nothing inside?” Eren asked, the question which has been haunting him the entire time. Levi looked up from his own paper to glance at Eren's serious face. “What if all of this was for nothing?” 

“Then we're shit out of luck.” Levi sneered, a smirk coming up on his face to disguise the possible worry hiding beneath, and Eren perfectly knew he was faking. “Stop stressing. You'll get wrinkles.” Levi commented again, to which Eren shot him a slightly bewildered look, followed by a chuckle. 

“Well, then you must stress a lot.” Eren commented in reply. 

Levi huffed and turned to look at him, “You little brat.” He murmured. He paused for a second, his eyes firmly on Eren. Under his firm gaze, Eren didn't dare to move. Finally, Levi shook his head slightly and got up, putting the piece of paper down on a nearby table. “I texted Hanji to get more supplies.” He announced. 

Eren bit his lip and nodded. He sighed and stood up, following Levi and putting the journal down on the table as he stepped up to align his body with the back of the hunter's. Levi sighed and Eren felt his body relax slightly against his own taller one. 

It was then that the phone began to ring and Eren sighed, stepping back slightly while Levi cursed and dug around in his pocket for his mobile. Once he took it out and gave an annoyed sigh at the called ID, Eren instantly knew it was Hanji. 

“What?” He snapped. 

_“What the hell crawled up your ass, Ravioli?”_ Eren almost giggled, swear to God giggled, at the nickname and turned away once he received a glare from Levi. _“Or, perhaps, you're annoyed because nothing crawled up your ass? I am taking my sweet time so you could get some, you know.”_

Eren bit on his lip and tried to stifle his laugh before Levi shoved at him, glaring at him and knowing perfectly well Eren was listening in on the conversation. “What do you want?” 

_“I have an experiment to propose.”_ Hanji told him. _“I found something weird in vampire's venom and after mixing it with a blood sample from you-”_

“When the fuck did you take my blood sample?” He spat. 

_“...You're a heavy sleeper.”_ She finally answered to which he gave an aggravated huff and waited for her to continue. _“We never really had results on what the long-term effects of the venom are on a human body since people usually die by vampires before something like this can be obtained.”_

“What is your point?” 

_“Well, since you've been bitten, your red blood cell count is higher than it is almost possible! It might be possible that, for long term effects, vampire venom actually has some healing abilities.”_

“So, you're telling me, that because I was bitten, I now heal faster?” He repeated, to make sure he heard the ridiculous accusation. 

_“Yes!”_ Hanji exclaimed. _“That bullet wound.”_ She pointed out quickly. _“Levi, you're almost fully healed. That's not normal.”_

Levi fell silent for a second. He then turned to Eren quickly, his eyes widening with realization. Pulling the phone away from his ear, he spoke to Eren, “Bite me.” He told him quickly. 

“What the hell? No!” 

Levi rolled his eyes and threw the phone to the side, taking a step towards Eren. “It helps to heal.” He pointed out. 

“It makes you weak and horny.” Eren countered quickly. 

“I'm already horny. No pain done there.” Levi shrugged with dismissal. 

Eren felt a warm blush creeping up his neck at the blunt statement. He turned away and tried to conceal the smile. “I'm not going to bite you, even for research.” Because the real problem wasn't how the bite would affect Levi, but how it would affect Eren. 

Levi smirked then, taking a step forward, his hands coming up to grab at the hem of Eren's shirt, before pulling him closer, melding their bodies together. “I'm sure I can persuade you.” He murmured, his tone deep and husky. 

With a throaty noise that Eren barely recognised as his own, he wound his arms around Levi's waist and pulled him forward. His tongue delved between Levi's lips, desperate to consume every flavour, every feel of that sinful, sarcastic mouth. Levi smirked in victory at the response. 

A throaty groan, falling from lips plump and wet, snapped the remaining tension in the room and Levi knew exactly what he wanted to do. 

He moved with more force and kissed Eren, his eyes still open. Eren didn’t close his either. Seeing his face, those mesmerizing teal-green orbs staring back, was overwhelming. He grabbed Eren's hair, locked his gaze to his, and kissed him until he had to break away to breathe.

They moved then, as if by mutual agreement. Levi moved with him, kissing him back, running his hands over his body and nipping at his lip, just because he could. One hand stroked Eren's back, smoothing over the curve of his ass. Levi could hear his heart pounding beneath supple skin- pulsing faster than his own- as Eren struggled to catch a breath. 

Stopping by the bed, Levi propped his knee on the bed and pushed Eren onto his back. He quickly followed, his body moulding over Eren's perfectly. Eren was squirming beneath him; his hips rocked upwards and Levi distinctly felt the erection press into his thigh. 

“And yet, I'm not the only one.” Levi murmured with a chuckle, grinding his own hips down. He had Eren pinned to the bed, and he had every intention of using that to his advantage. 

Eren rolled his eyes with a groan. “I kind of wish you'd shut up and fuck me.” He growled in a reply. 

Levi raised both eyebrows at the sudden change in language, but the sultry smirk remained in place. “Oh?” He murmured, grinding his hips down again which made Eren mewl. “Here I thought you'd be the 'make love to me' type.” 

Eren glared up at him, the fake glare looking completely adorable (not that Levi would ever admit it) paired with those huge, teal-green eyes. He couldn’t not do it. He couldn’t possibly resist. He shifted down and kissed him. 

Eren's hands dragged up Levi's body, carefully pulling the shirt up with them. Levi pulled away for just a second so Eren could throw away the material. At this point, Levi didn't care where it landed or how creased it would be in the morning. With the distraction, Eren's leg wrapped around his hip and before he knew it, Levi found himself pinned to the bed, under the vampire. 

“Why can't we do both?” Eren growled before leaning down and attaching his mouth to Levi's again. 

With a quick jerk, he broke away from the mouth he could have spent the next hundred years kissing, and shoved himself down Levi’s chest. The muscles he came across were nothing like the previous guys’ he’d fucked – this was a hunter, a fighter, a soldier who had trained heavily and worked his flesh into a condition that was not just useful, but downright deadly. And fucking hell was that a turn on – but more that that, though, this was Levi. And somehow, Eren knew it would only ever be Levi. 

He had never felt this sort of heat and longing for another person. He didn’t know how Levi did it, but Eren knew that there would never be anyone else for him. He wanted Levi to feel that too, to have that assurance both physically and emotionally. He would do whatever he had to do to make sure that Levi knew he was his.

His hand worked down, his fingers working to open the button on Levi's jeans while Levi's own hand fumbled with Eren's, his other impatiently pulling on Eren's shirt to take it off. With a second pause, Eren's shirt flew across the room, followed by two pairs of jeans. 

No one touched him the way Levi did, with that easy, unshakable expertise as though he knew his every secret desire. Levi frowned at the silver chain hanging from Eren's neck before quickly picking it up and bringing it over his neck, frowning once again at the burn it left behind. He leaned up and kissed at the scarred skin, somehow avoiding eye contact with Eren. Eren grinned; Levi cared, he cared a lot. But sometimes, it was embarrassing for him to show it.

He slid his hand into Levi’s hair, gripping the curls at the base of his neck and using them to pull Levi’s head back, just to be able to kiss him harder. Levi’s lips were soft and gave under his as he drove the kiss. They lay wrapped around one another, and when he shifted more, Eren broke the kiss with a gasp and rocked their groins together despite the layers of thin cloth between them. 

Levi's deep, entertained chuckle went straight to his dick. “I think you're forgetting yourself, brat.” He lurched up, his legs wrapping around Eren's waist to change their positions, and Eren let him. 

Levi nibbled from his lips to his jaw and then down his throat. Eren bucked against him, desperate for more. He wriggled and strained. He could hear the sounds he was making, embarrassing, frantic noises as he squirmed and rubbed. Only with Levi could he let go like this.

Levi's hand snuck under the waistband of his boxers. Lazily, Levi kissed him before reaching down further to grip his turgid arousal with strong, knowing fingers. Eren moaned then, his back arching slightly. Levi grinned lazily—both parts lecherous and giddy—and he could feel his lips stretch over his teeth as it grew in width. The muscles in his face were sore from it; he hasn’t smiled like this in so long. 

He slanted his mouth to capture Eren's again and kissed him slowly as his hand moved on the younger man's dick, with a firm grip. Eren tried to control his breathing as Levi reached down beside the bed and looked around the bag for a second, before bringing up a bottle of lube and a condom. 

“Eren.” Levi murmured, and Eren looked up at him as Levi continued to hold his gaze. He searched the vampire's bright eyes slowly, looking for any signs of hesitation. But all he found was want and lust. Without a further thought, he pulled down Eren's boxers and watched as his cock sprang free. Levi smirked at the small blush creeping up Eren's neck; the kid was such a virgin sometimes.

Eren couldn't help it. Levi was straddling him, smirking down at him with those pink, mischievous lips and Eren couldn't help but arch into him, whimpering. Levi laughed lightly before leaning down to kiss him, murmuring,”I could get you to beg.” 

The dream he had immediately popped up for Eren and he blushed yet again, thinking about how the roles have been reversed. But was he complaining? Hell no. 

Reaching down to palm his cock, Levi smirked, “Look at you. You're already leaking.” He murmured, running his thumb over the head of Eren's dick. 

This time, Eren didn't blush but instead, put on a determined face. “You shouldn't talk.” He reached up and palmed Levi's dick through the thin fabric of his boxers. He watched as Levi hummed low in his throat and didn't take his eyes off Eren. 

Levi didn't answer, but instead pushed Eren's thighs apart and reached for the lube. “I don't think it's fair you're still dressed.” Eren pointed out in a murmur. “Is it a size problem? I can look away if you're more comfortable.” He couldn't say it with a straight face and once Levi caught the smirk on his face, a glare was sent his way. 

“Why do I even bother with you?” Levi murmured to himself, spreading the lube over his fingers thoroughly but Eren noticed a hint of a smile on his lips. 

Is this how sex usually happened? 

All his previous experience had been quick, meaningless and silent. Here, there was talking, going slow and even joking. Was this normal? 

But somehow, it was nice. 

Bringing his lathered fingers up to Eren's hole, Levi looked up at him carefully. Eren flinched slightly but then grinned at Levi's sudden change in expression. “Cold.” He chuckled and watched as Levi rolled his eyes again, the smile still present on his lips. “Somehow I imagined this being slightly more romantic.” He pointed out. 

“You imagined sex with me romantic?” Levi sneered, his eyebrows furrowing as a grin overtook his face. “Oh, baby, I really gave off some wrong vibes.” He then paused, his face going blank. “Yeah, pet names are definitely not going to be a thing.” He smirked at Eren's blank expression. He leaned over to place his lips next to the vampire's ear, “You look really hot right now, and trust me, I'm going to make sure you can't walk in the morning. Romantic enough?” 

He didn't have time to point out that it was not romantic at all, but still undeniably, sexy. Eren moaned once Levi pressed one finger inside him. To feel those skilled, thin, fingers which were capable of killing, touching him so intimately was enough to drive him insane. Levi smirked at his reaction while Eren's hand reached up and knotted into Levi's hair, pulling him down for a hot kiss. 

His fingers slipped back inside, slowly but firmly, two fingers now working him open. Eren, in turn, took to trailing his lips down Levi's neck, leaving teasing kisses on the smooth skin and biting down from time to time, more often than not almost hard enough to leave a bruise; he still remembered Levi's little biting kink. 

Levi didn't want this experience to be quick. He wanted to revel in the feeling and sight of Eren writhing and squirming underneath him, grasping at his forearms and digging his nails in for support. 

Eren was at the mercy of Levi's clever fingers, unable to tame the breathy moans that broke past his lips as he was spread and stretched further. A hot, sizzling warmth spread over his body slowly and he revelled in it, wanting more. 

An especially loud groan left his mouth when Levi's fingers hit that spot and he arched into those skilled fingers. He wanted it deeper, harder, faster but Levi withdrew his fingers before wiping them on the sheets with a grumble. 

He thought about protesting, but then Levi was sliding off his boxers and Eren caught sight of his dick, red and swollen and already leaking pre-cum. He licked his lips in anticipation, writhing in impatience as Levi rolled on a condom and gave Eren a heated look, such a hot, passionate look of pure lust that Eren thought he would be coming there and then. 

Levi pushed into him and Eren curled his fingers into the sheets, the blunt pressure almost too much but he let another moan go as Lei pushed in further, the hunter biting down on his own lip to keep himself calm and not thrust quickly into Eren's welcoming heat. 

Levi rearranged their positions, pushing Eren's legs further apart and hooking his legs behind his elbows so he could get a good grip on the bed. He gave Eren one more hot look and then thrust in fully, giving in to the groan which left his mouth. 

Eren's hands curled into Levi's hair this time. Levi hardly gave him any time to adjust before he was pulling back, his hips snapping back with a quick, hard rhythm. Every time he pounded into him, an involuntary groan of pleasure escaped Eren's throat. 

“Levi, I-” Eren broke off with a moan, twisting and writhing in the sheets. He tried to find his words, but couldn't; not with Levi fucking him, hard and fast and the hunter's fingers now digging into his skin. Levi shifted slightly and another loud moan left his mouth as Levi hit that spot; he barely recognized his own voice, low and strained. Every muscle trembled, as much with tension as with bliss, a heavy anticipation that tangled him in knots.

Eren leaned up, his mouth attaching onto Levi's neck and sucking the skin hard, biting down to leave his mark behind. He heard Levi gasp his name, and it was enough to let him know he was doing good. There was a silent desire, hidden inside; a desire to let his fangs out and pierce the skin, marking Levi as his. 

“Oh, fuck!” Eren groaned, his head thrashing back to the bed at a particular thrust. Levi's sweating skin close with his, his heavy breaths and groans by his ear and the feel of him moving inside was all Eren needed; his eyes closed in bliss and he felt like he could stay here, now and always. 

“Look at me,” Levi growled then, thrusting deep, so deep Eren knew tomorrow he was going to ache. Ache in a good way. An ache he would savour. An ache, when it started to fade, he would crave to have again. “Eren.”

His eyes opened and he was met with smouldering grey. He nodded once, reading all of the emotions hidden in those orbs and entangled his hand into Levi's hair again, starting to realise the hunter liked it a lot. 

For however long it was, Levi lived for the moans and gasps that would escape Eren's mouth whenever he pushed in at the right angle. He grew addicted to them somewhat, doubling his efforts with speed and the right amount of harshness at the end of each thrust. 

Levi wrapped his hand around Eren's cock, tugging on it with the same rhythm as he fucked into him, making Eren emit more moans and groans. Eren pulled him down, their lips finding each other clumsily and with the task being made harder through their heavy breaths and groans and moans. Levi grinned slyly at the sounds, enjoying how Eren was unravelling at the seams. 

It has been building for a long time, but the climax takes Levi by a surprise. He came hard, shuddering. When he came, he made a noise deep in his throat that is so raw and sexual that Eren thought he could come right there and then. 

He matched Levi a few mindless thrusts later, the tremors far too much. He came shaking and moaning Levi's name into the crook of the hunter's neck.

As if by instinct, his fangs slid out and before he knew what he was doing, they pierced the skin on Levi's neck. 

He heard Levi hiss, whether in pain or pleasure, he wasn't sure but he only left them out for a second, simply getting a taste of Levi's blood running down his tongue before he pulled back, his eyes wide. 

But Levi grinned. 

With the grin still on his face, he pulled out, took the condom off and tied it off before throwing it in the bin. He then lay back in the bed beside Eren and honest to God, giggled. 

“There's anaesthetics in this right?” Levi murmured, his eyes closing slowly but the smile remained on his face. 

With his eyes wide, Eren inspected the wound before getting out of bed. He didn't bother wondering about modesty as he fetched a wet cloth from the bathroom and brought it back, cleaning himself off while he was there. 

He brought a fresh cloth to Levi's neck, cleaning away the blood that dropped down. It wasn't a deep wound, but he would still rather he sure it wasn't bad. “I'm sorry.” He told Levi. 

“I wanted it.” Levi murmured in reply, his eyes opening. There was such a peaceful feel in them now, Eren felt slightly better. “And I could tell you did.” His eyes closed again and his face straightened slightly, his lips pursing. “If you feel the need to mark me, there you go.” 

Eren paused. How could he tell? Levi must have known him better than he thought. 

He returned the cloth to its place and returned to bed, crawling under the covers with Levi next to him. There was an ache in his backside and he grinned as he remembered Levi's words. 

“Where are the love declarations? The cuddling? The deep future talks?” Levi murmured, his eyes remaining closed. 

“God, Levi, stop smothering me.” Eren rolled his eyes slightly, a grin finding its way onto his face. Either way, his arms wrapped around the hunter's waist and he pulled him closer, their bodies moulding together. 

Levi opened his eyes for a second, moving away and getting off the bed to grab a fresh pair of boxers before throwing a pair to Eren. “I don't wanna pop a boner in the middle of the night.” He commented as he slid back in. “And I don't want my junk to freeze off either.” 

With a chuckle, Eren's arms wrapped around him again with Levi's face hiding in his chest. He smiled as he recollected what happened mere minutes ago. 

He and Levi were like wolves. There was no alpha male in this relationship; they shared the dominance. And that's a strong bond between two people; knowing when to give and take dominance in a relationship. 

“Guess Hanji came useful for once, huh?” He commented, to which he received a muffled agreement from Levi. 

They slept, and that night, _neither of them had nightmares._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely hate myself.   
> I made you guys wait more than a week for what is a pathetic excuse of a chapter.   
> I did, however, like writing the Levi thought process on the roof and the Mikasa scene since I never get to write from her point of view.   
> I bet that took a different turn than you thought it would, huh? I mean, as many of you have pointed out; since when does Eren listen to Levi anyway?   
> And yes, that was my first time writing legit smut and I cringed the whole way through. When it comes to reading it, I'm perfectly fine, if not better! But writing it...not sure I'll be repeating that experience soon! That was also why I took so long...The smut was just not coming! I couldn't find myself in the mood to write that, with all other crap happening.   
> Also, updates will come slower now, perhaps on a weekly basis. I have school work to keep up with and I'm at this horribly important and completely stressing part of my life where I have to start working on my university applications.   
> I hope everything was to your standards with this chapter. Some things were slightly rushed, I just really wanted them to fuck already.   
> By the way, I put out the first chapter of a new vampire/werewolf story that I'm going to pursue once I finish Own Ending! You can read it [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1828870/chapters/3927838). Thanks!   
> P.S- If you didn't pick it up, Eren biting Levi shows that he can have power over him too, ergo the little mention of wolves. I want to make sure they're completely level with each other. Neither of them is more powerful or more important in this relationship. And yes, it is a relationship now. Ereri is happening.   
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	25. Some Risks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning after.   
> Armin comes home and needs help understanding what happened.  
> Hanji shows and Levi is not happy.  
> Marco gets worried about Jean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, before you even begin, can I avert your attention towards these lovely pieces of art: one of[ Hanji and Mikasa](http://destineytots.tumblr.com/post/89822019649/66-mikasa-and-55-hanji) and one of [Levi and Eren](http://destineytots.tumblr.com/post/90296983174/this-scene-gave-me-a-ton-of-feels-u-from-the). God I love them so much! The second one is actually my phone background ;) A MASSIVE thank you to [destineytots](http://destineytots.tumblr.com/) for drawing both of these!

When Eren's eyes opened, he first noticed the time flashing at him in large, red digits. The time read 2:23PM and since they went to sleep around 5A.M, he was not surprised they were asleep for so long. 

Thinking of 'they', the next thing he noticed was that the space in the bed previously occupied by a short hunter with a bad vocabulary was now empty but since he felt the heat still present in the space, he concluded that Levi got up not long ago. 

With a sigh, he sat up and looked around the room, not finding anything out of the ordinary. He got out of the bed, running a hand through his hair to try and bring it to an appropriate state, before he trailed out of the room. Thoughts from the previous night (or early morning) sprung into his mind and he grinned mindlessly, still feeling the way Levi's hands felt on his skin. 

Smelling an attractive scent, he followed it to the small kitchen. He stopped by the doorway and leaned on it, his arms crossing and a grin stretching on his face at the sight of Levi by the counter, leaning on it and confusedly looking at the microwave. 

With the grin still on his face, he stepped up behind the hunter and wrapped his arms around his waist, chuckling as Levi flinched but then became still, recognizing Eren's touch. “You'd think for a hunter, you'd have better hearing.” He murmured, leaning down to place his chin on Levi's bare shoulder. “Or, maybe you're just getting old.” 

He almost felt Levi roll his eyes. “Fuck off, Eren.” Eren grinned at the reply and left a quick peck on the hunter's shoulder before his eyes caught something else. 

He straightened and grabbed Levi's arm, pulling to twist him around. “I'm trying to make food.” Levi murmured with distaste as Eren turned him away from the microwave. But Eren focused on the mark that was now stretched in the place where Levi's neck met his shoulder blade; a mark Eren had seen before and it never meant anything good. 

He ran his thumb over the broken skin with a frown. “Does it hurt?” He asked quietly, referring to his bite now scarring Levi's skin. 

Levi flinched slightly, “Not unless you jab at it.” He snapped, slapping Eren's hand away. He then saw Eren's face and his scowl immediately softened, “It's fine, Eren. I don't really care. I wanted it, right?” He shrugged slightly, a smirk crossing his lips. “And it did the job of knocking me out without nightmares. Well done.” He patted Eren on the shoulder and tried to turn back around, but Eren's arms around him didn't let him do so. 

“I shouldn't have done that.” The mark was still raw red, in the exact shape of a bite mark. Thankfully, the excess blood was wiped previously so it looked pretty clean, but there was still no arguments against the fact that it was deep, and would possibly, leave a mark behind after it healed. 

“Just leave it, Eren. I'm sure Hanji is going to rejoice.” Levi replied with a shrug and a sigh before his eyes widened slightly and he ducked under Eren's arms before rushing out of the kitchen. 

Eren shook his head at the strange behaviour and instead looked into the microwave, his eyes widening as he quickly turned it off. “You're not supposed to put cutlery in the microwave!” He took it out, thankful there was no fire before making sure it went in correctly again. 

“That fucking four eyes!” Eren turned as Levi rushed into the kitchen with a scowl on his face, holding his phone. 

“What did she do now?” Eren grinned at the question; it seemed to be so normal and natural at this point. 

“Call disconnected: 5.12AM.” Levi read out from his phone. “I started the call at 4:17AM! I then threw away the phone without turning it off and-” 

Eren's eyes widened as he understood. “Hanji heard us fuck?!” He exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face even though he was completely mortified. Levi did not look amused. “That's kind of funny, come on.” He tried, walking towards him. 

“That's an invasion of privacy!” Levi's eyes widened as he exclaimed. With the grin still on his face, Eren wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer. “Why the fuck do you have a shit eating grin on your face since you walked in here?” Levi asked slowly. 

“I'm happy.” Eren shrugged with ease. “I thought you would be, too.” 

Levi's face softened and he sighed. “I am.” He told him low, murmuring into his neck. “I'm just thinking about all the consequences.” He shook his head slightly but then leaned up and aligned his lips with Eren's. The kiss was quick and short before Levi pulled away again. “I'm sorry. I'm just trying to get my head around everything. So much changed in just one night.” 

Eren nodded in understanding. “Well, you said Hanji couldn't get a flight back until tomorrow night, right?” Levi nodded in a response. “So, how about we chill out and maybe rent a film? And order food.” He looked towards the bunt food. “You're a shit cook.” 

“Eat shit, Eren.” 

Eren grinned at the remark before placing his lips on Levi's again, this time making the kiss longer and slower. “We probably don't have long before Hanji comes back. Where the hell did she go, anyway?” He shook his head at the thought and smiled down at Levi again. “We can watch Twilight.” 

“Or we could fuck again.” 

“Yeah, I agree.” 

~~*~~*~~

_This was not good. This was not good. This was not good._

_Correction,_ he thought as the puddle of blood stared back at him: _this was absolutely terrible._

_Calm down, Armin. They need you now. You have to act accordingly or else one of your friends might get hurt. You'll call the base, tell them there must have been a mistake and resolve this completely peacefully and with-_

“Fuck.” He fumbled with his phone, his hand shaking and his breath heavy as he struggled to keep his breathing under control. This was not the time to hyperventilate himself into a coma, or something. 

He clicked the number he could most probably count on the most. Hanji didn't pick up. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He swore again and again, the word so foreign on his lips. He clicked yet another number, this time hoping to connect straight to the base. 

“Rico speaking. How may I help you?” _Rico! He knew her!_

“This is Armin.” He quickly spoke up. “Arlert. Armin Arlert. What's going on? I just got home and-” Rico cut him off before he could say any more. 

“I understand, Armin. Mikasa has been taken in as a valuable witness. Visits are not permitted. I'm sorry, Armin.” Although the words were meant to sound comforting, they sounded bleak and blank coming from Rico, as if she had been practising saying them for the past few weeks. 

“What does that mean? What do you mean by-” He stopped as the line went dead. Rico was clearly done talking. 

He looked around the mess in the kitchen again and tried to calm himself down. He walked out of the room and back into the hallway where he wouldn't have to look at it. 

Valuable witness? Had something happened to Eren? 

He clicked on another number, hoping to get more information. “Why the hell are you calling me?” 

“Ymir, I need help.” He gasped out, thankful that the girl picked up. 

“Look, I'm a little busy.” Ymir murmured back with distaste, clear annoyance in her voice. 

“This is important. I need to know what happened with Mikasa.” 

Ymir didn't answer immediately. He heard her shush the other voices on the line before she excused herself and probably left the room. “Armin, this is serious. It's all strictly secret.” 

“Please, Ymir.” He had spoken to the freckled girl many times and dare he say it, they had actually become friends. He hoped she felt the same. 

He heard her sigh heavily and curse under her breath. “I'm sorry. I didn't do anything. I was there when they took her.” His breath hitched at her words. “She was taken as a warning and a guaranty. We got a report in from Hanji. They got the journal and Eren escaped with it. Commander Smith is furious.” 

He froze. Eren wouldn't do that. He knew their lives were on the line and their safety depended on his ability to find the journal. And what about Levi? Did Levi just let him go or did they fight? 

“What happened?” He asked, trying to get a better view on the situation. 

“Official story is that Levi was still injured so Eren had an easier getaway. I think it's all bullshit. I've seen Levi in training; you can stab him in the gut and he'll stab you back three times.” 

“You think Levi let him go?” Armin questioned. 

“I think it's obvious that they have a big, gay crush going on.” She stated with ease. “Look, what am I supposed to do? I've told you everything I know, Armin.” 

“I need you to take me to Mikasa. I'll get her out of there and we'll leave town.” 

“Are you insane?” Ymir exclaimed almost immediately. “You're being watched, Arlert. How do I know? I'm taking one of the shifts tomorrow. You won't be able to make it past the corner, let alone skip town.” 

“Then what am I supposed to do, Ymir?” He whined, his voice coming in breathy and desperate. Mikasa was in danger, and he wouldn't let her get hurt when he could try to do something about it.

She sighed, a deep and heavy sigh which clearly meant she was doing something she didn't particularly want to do. “I might have a plan.” She told him, finally. “You're going to have to calm down, Armin. During my shift, we'll try to work this out.” She paused and sighed again. “Alright, Blondie, be ready tomorrow at 3PM. My shift starts then.” 

He had to wait almost a whole day! “Ymir, can't we-” 

“Look, I'm already risking my ass to help you. It's either that, or nothing.” She finally snapped, clearly annoyed with the disturbance he created. “So focus on your school work or whatever the fuck you're doing. It's New Years! Go out and have fun, for fuck's sake!” 

How could he have fun when one of his friends was being held captive and another was possibly on the run? 

“Ymir...” He trailed off with a broken whimper. “What would you do if somebody close to you was in danger?” He knew this was a soft spot. From all the time he spent with Ymir, he knew very well she had somebody she cared about more than anybody else in the world. 

“I'll try my best, Armin. But I won't be able to help sooner than that.” There was genuine care in her voice and he nodded to himself with a sniff. 

“Thank you.” 

~~*~~*~~

There was a knock on the door and Eren let his head lift up from the bed to watch Levi gracefully stroll across the room with just a towel around his waist. He smirked at the view before the smirk turned into a full grin and he couldn't help it; he was happy! Was that bad? 

The door opened and Eren sat up as he recognised the silhouette. Levi froze and his shoulders tensed. It was rather hot from the back, but Eren didn't need to see his face to know there was fury written across it. Hanji stood in the doorway, her cheeks puffed and red and held back tears glistening in her eyes as she tried to keep in her laughter. 

She failed and burst out laughing and almost immediately Levi snapped, launching forward to attack her with a few creative curse words in the process. 

“You hit me, I pull your towel off!” Hanji screamed quickly before trying to protect herself. 

Levi paused. “Who gives a shit? Eren saw my junk and I live with you, you crazy psychopath!” He launched at her and she squealed as he grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her forward. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Who does that?” He growled. 

“I didn't listen for long!” She protested quickly. “I switched off once it got to the good part!” 

Levi smacked her around the back of the head and crossed his arms over his chest angrily. “You're fucking disgusting.” He spat before turning on his heel and walking away. Eren tried to hide his own smirk once his cool, silver gaze swept over him but failed and received a scowl in return. 

Hanji skipped into the room with a permanent grin on her face. “'Sup Twilight?” She chirped as she sat down on a chair not far from the bed. “How's your behind?” She wagged her eyebrows suggestively. “I always took you for a top, honestly. You know, with the whole vampire strength and all. Besides, Levi is such a bottom. I mean, he's short so that alone should-” 

“Hanji!” Levi hissed again, this time coming back into the room, dressed. Eren frowned at the loss of a great sight. “Fucking mind your own business, you incompetent twat.” 

“Twat? That's a new one.” She pointed out with a shrug. “Did having sex with Eren suddenly make you British?” She received yet another glare from Levi. 

“Stop fucking around and tell us what's happening.” Levi ordered instead and Eren sat up fully on the bed while Levi walked over and let his body fall next to Eren. Hanji grinned at the movement alone. 

“You guys are so cute!” She gushed, clapping her hands. “I just want to take pictures of you and make a scrap book! Or maybe put it on a billboard! Ooh, a balloon!” 

“Hanji!” This time, Eren joined in with an impatient hiss. 

Hanji paused and brought her hand up in an offended gesture,”You know,” She started, “I came out to have a good time, and I'm honestly feeling so attacked right now.” She grinned before bursting into a round of giggles with which nobody joined in. 

“I have a feeling you're quoting some crap,” Levi spoke up, glowering at her. “But I don't know what the hell it is, and neither does he, so just get on with it.” 

Hanji finally ceased her giggles and cleared her throat. “Right.” She rubbed her hands and sighed, the grin slowly disappearing from her face. “We have a problem.” 

“When don't we?” Levi murmured and let his body fall back into the newly changed sheets, sighing in the process. Eren couldn't help it; his hand instinctively tangled itself into Levi's soft locks. 

Hanji smiled at the gesture before becoming serious again. “Erwin ordered for Mikasa to be taken in.” She stated and Eren immediately straightened while Levi opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling in silence, cursing as he predicted the next reaction, 

“He did what?!” Eren shot up from the bed, fists clenching but Levi didn't stop him. He simply watched the back of the vampire with a cool gaze. 

“I'm sorry, Eren, but what did you expect?” Hanji frowned further. 

“Is she hurt?” He asked quickly and Levi heard his voice tremble slightly. 

Hanji looked at Levi, who said nothing, and then sighed. “Yes. And they're going to kill her if you don't show up there with the journal by Sunday.” 

“Well, then that's sorted!” Eren exclaimed quickly but his stance didn't change. “We're going back Thursday night. We'll get there early Friday.” 

“Are you fucking insane?” Levi spoke up then and Eren turned to look at him in bewilderment. “If you can't see that's a trap, then help you God, kid.” 

“I know it is.” Eren snapped back. “But I don't care. I can take care of myself. Mikasa didn't ask to be involved in this. She doesn't deserve this!” 

A short silence followed where Levi sighed. “Do you think any of us asked for this?” 

There was no answer, and when the silence stretched again, Hanji returned to speaking. “Going back earlier might give us the advantage we need. They'll expect him to show up at some point, but not so early. Besides, the base believes we don't know Eren's whereabouts. So, really, their whole plan is completely ridiculous since-” 

“No.” Levi cut her off. “That's bullshit. Right now, we're on the black list.” He told Hanji. “Erwin isn't an idiot. If he told you all of this, then he knows you're able to tell Eren.” Levi sneered, shaking his head slightly. “He probably knows everything.” 

“If he knows, why hasn't he sent anybody after us?” Hanji challenged. 

“Why waste the lives of the hunters who dare break down that door when he can lure us all back in?” Levi shrugged, his gaze swiping over his blades resting on the table. “It's basic strategy, Hanji. You know Erwin does that.” 

“What does this mean?” Eren spoke up. “Is he really going to kill Mikasa or is he faking it?” 

“Oh, he's going to do it.” Levi replied with a nonchalant shrug. “Right now, it's a warning. By Sunday, it's going to be real. And then, after all, he still has your other little friend to hold against you.” 

Armin! How was Armin coping with all of this? Was he safe? Eren clenched his fists harder, gritting his teeth as he felt them extending slightly. 

“Eren.” Hanji whispered then and he turned to look at her with the rage still bubbling inside of him. “Eren, stop it.” 

He frowned in confusion at her words, before he turned to Levi and watched the hunter inspecting something closely. Levi was currently watching his own silver blades, his own weapon, levitating slightly. They hung in the air, and they weren't the only thing. There were various knives and weapons levitating in the air, and once Eren realised this was his doing, he froze and it was then that everything dropped back into place. 

“Silver!” Hanji exclaimed instantly. “You can manipulate silver!” A massive grin spread across her face as she struggled to quickly reach for her notebook. “That is amazing!” 

Eren shook his head slightly. “I'm sorry.” He murmured. “I can't control it.” 

“It's fine.” It was Levi who spoke up. “When we get back, first thing first, we need a plan. We try to break out Mikasa on Friday, hoping they would be more off guard. If it fails then, then the whole thing's fallen apart. We're all dead.” 

“You don't have to risk yourselves for me.” Eren murmured then, frowning at the ground in the process. 

“I know we don't.” Levi replied. “But what's life without a little risk?” 

~~*~~*~~

“The person you're trying to call is unable to come to the phone right now. Please leave a message after-” He hung up the phone with an aggravated sigh and rubbed his forehead with his hand, trying to smooth out the quickly forming creases there. This shouldn't bother him so much. 

Jean had told him he would meet him in this very spot, but the designated time of their meeting was an hour ago. He could excuse ten minutes, or twenty- heck, even thirty! But an hour was completely different. Nobody was an hour late, either something happened or he was ditched, and he knew Jean well enough to cross out the latter. 

He had already left a voice mail and numerous messages but Jean was clearly not picking up. If something had happened, he would have known; after all, he was Jean's emergency contact. He was simply worried; in addition, neither Armin nor Mikasa were picking up their phones. 

He wasn't proud of what he did next, and he tried to persuade himself that there was no curiosity or jealousy there, but simple worry. He had heard of a website which helped to track a person's location through their phone number, and as he typed in the digits, he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. 

With a buzz, the location details popped up and he had a decision to make. There were more risks than advantages involved in this situation, but he couldn't get rid of a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The address wasn't far. 

His body decided even before his mind fully did and his feet started moving towards the destination. 

It was a five minute walk and when he got there, he spotted a house which clearly didn't have an owner. There was a 'for sale' sign out, there was a dishevelled garden, empty windows and no visible lights. What the hell would Jean be doing here? He suddenly doubted the website he used; maybe it was leading him to the nearest murderer. 

But...was that a shadow in the window? Could it be possible that Jean was cheating on him? 

With a decisive attitude, he moved towards the front door. He tried the handle and found it was open, which was never a good sign. He watched enough horror movies to know that. 

He walked into the dark house with his phone in his hand, lighting the way. Suddenly, all horror movies he had ever seen popped into his head and he cursed at the timing of it all. 

He stalked down as quietly as he could. With the light shining from his phone, he could hardly see so when everything became brighter, he was surprised to find a closed door ahead, but with the light on inside the room. 

He walked over to the door as quietly as he could, listening in and hoping he wouldn't hear moans of pleasure. 

“This isn't going to work.” Jean's voice came in a clear, aggravated growl. 

“We just have to rearrange our priorities.” Came a deep male voice and Marco struggled to remember where he had heard it before. It came to him suddenly: Annie's friend, Reiner. 

“I don't fucking think so. Mikasa was our only chance. If she's not there, I'm out.” Jean spoke again in an aggressive, fed up tone. 

“Annie isn't going to be happy.” Reiner mocked him, whistling shortly after. 

“I don't give a shit.” Jean spat. Marco knew him well enough to know that Jean wouldn't swear as often unless he was really annoyed. “Where the hell is she, anyway? So much for being fucking in charge around here.” He sighed and there was some cluttering. “I'm already late. Tell her to call me if she comes up with a plan that's less suicidal.” 

The footsteps approached quickly and Marco only had a second to panic before the door in front of him opened and the light flooded out into the darkness. 

“Marco?” Jean's tall silhouette blocked some of the light. He was currently staring at his freckled boyfriend with wide, shocked eyes. But there was no betrayal in them at the inevitable thought that Marco followed him; his eyes were pure shock and worry. 

It was a moment too late that Marco realised he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

“Annie! No!” 

There was a sudden pain at the back of his head and his knees gave out, letting his body crash to the ground before Jean could even attempt to catch him. 

He only had a single thought swirling in his head before he lost consciousness: _in the movies, the fool who goes searching in the dark, always dies first._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify before you guys kill me: Marco is not dead.  
> Once again, sorry for the long wait and thank you for the patience with this chapter! Chapters will most probably come during weekends for the next 2/3 weeks and then I'm finished with school. Then again, by my count, there is probably only around 4 chapters left. Then again, the penultimate chapters are all going to be action-filled and then there will be an epilogue. And then I move on to writing Etch :D In case you still want some vampire action ;)  
> So, yeah. I'm not sure what to say now.  
> I've been watching a lot of anime lately. Tokyo Ghoul got me hooked, go watch that! It's fucking amazing. Currently waiting for a subtitled version of the dmmd first episode...Let's not even talk about Free! because my RinHaru feels can't take it. I'm halfway through Angel Beats! and it's alright. I wanna watch Kyoukai No Kanata. Is it good? Anybody got any recommendations judging on the ones I already watched? I haven't actually watched that much anime before so all recs are welcome :)  
> And about this chapter...Hmm...A lot of you predicted the Hanji situation! Nice one, guys! I'm a sucker for cuddly!Eren so both you guys and Levi will have to live with that. And of course, I got into the trend of 'feeling so attacked right now' because of tumblr. It seems my social life is dead. Oh! Historia will make some sort of an appearance soon! Gah, I love Ymir. And Rico. So, that's it. Oh! If you didn't like my lame attempts at adding humour through Hanji, then you're lame. But not really, I love you all. "Did having sex with Eren suddenly make you British?" That's it. That is what I am going to be remembered for.  
> Thanks for everything!  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	26. Secrets Make The World Go Round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren reads his father's journal.  
> Marco wakes up and tries to understand what the hell is happening.

_**Wednesday, 31 st December. 8 P.M.**_

“This sucks! We should be able to party!” Hanji whined, stomping her feet like a child. She leaned forward and grabbed the lapels of Eren's jacket, pulling him closer and facing her head on. “This isn't fair!” She whispered frantically and then let him go, making him stumble back.

With the frown still on her face, she turned to Levi and crossed her arms over her chest. “This sucks!” She repeated. “This sucks more than Eren does!” She paused for a second before a smirk made its way onto her face at her terrible joke.”We have the whole of tomorrow to get ready.”

“Please, for the love of God, stop shoving Eren around. You're gonna make the kid vomit.” Levi murmured from the bed, his hand moving the cloth over his silver blade with long, measured strokes. “Take this shit seriously, will you? There's lives at stake here.”

Hanji didn't say anything for a second, before she took a step to the side and picked up a stake from a pile of weapons. “At stake.” She repeated, with a grin.

Levi said nothing, he simply gave an annoyed huff. Eren watched the exchange in silence before making his way over to the bed and sitting down next to Levi, with his legs crossed. “Can I help?”

“You can't touch any of the weapons without getting hurt.” Levi pointed out, but looked up and gave Eren a tight smile, telling him that he appreciated the effort.

Eren couldn't help but grin at what Levi was wearing; he was currently wearing a red sweatshirt which belonged to Eren. It was probably a size too large and looked it around the shoulders, but Eren was rejoiced seeing Levi wear colour. He looked good, but when he was told so, he simply huffed and said that the sweatshirt was really warm.

Meanwhile, Hanji had taken to turning the TV on to watch the New Years countdown. Levi was only grateful she was quiet for once.

“When we get back,” Levi started instead, pausing his actions to turn his head towards Eren. “I want you to promise me something.” He told him.

“What is it?”

“Don't do anything stupid, Eren.” Eren frowned at Levi's serious tone. Whenever the hunter used his name directly, he knew that things were serious. “I know you want to rush in there and save the damn world, but you have to trust us to go along with the plan.”

And they had a plan. They had seen through everything and set a perfect amount of time to overcome any obstacle before it was the time to proceed to the next step. They had seen through everything starting with the inevitable talk with Commander Smith, up to the less probable of an earthquake.

“What if something goes wrong?” Eren spoke up instead, just making sure. 

“Nothing will.” Levi assured him, averting his gaze to the blade again. “We've seen through everything.” He paused before looking back up at Eren. “You trust us, right?”

Eren nodded without a doubt. “Yes.”

Levi genuinely smiled. “Good.”

Seeing that Levi was clearly trying to keep his mind off the next few days, he got up and walked away, feeling like he was invading the raven's personal time. As Hanji still sat in front of the TV with her arms crossed stubbornly, he instead took it upon himself to pick up the journal from his bag and make his way to the balcony.

Once he closed the door behind him, he slid down the wall and placed the journal against his knee. He sighed, looking up into the quiet sky which exploded with fireworks from time to time before he made his decision.

He opened it and read the first entry.

  * _The real problem here isn't that vampires are not like humans. The problem is that everybody makes them out to be so different. They have the potential to be human. The main problem in my research was easy to detect. Vampires survive on human blood. Since they themselves are clinically dead, they have no blood in their system. They need the blood to keep their hearts going; to keep them alive. Is it really wrong to deny them the desire to live? But there is many different foods in the world, and I have traced the existence of vampires back to the beginning of time. What did they feed on when hardly any humans walked the earth? There must be other answers to this, and there is no doubt I will try to find them. There must be a way for vampires to survive without the need of human blood._  




He paused with his reading and pondered on the thoughts. He instantly knew what he would read next; this journal wasn't a hidden weapon, it was a guide on how to help vampires become a part of the society without issues. His father didn't want the two races to be different.

  * _Human foods don't quench the thirst. It's been three days, and I know well that vampires can survive for around five days without blood before becoming savage. Some control it better than others. Of course, I have seen cases where vampires lasted less, but that was to do with the purity of their curse or their wounds and it is not the main subject of this entry. I have tried all foods available in town, and none of it lasted long. It made me sick and I suspect the organism refuses human food when the blood reserves start running low. Processing the food would use up additional energy and ergo, blood. The vampiric organism is a clever being on its own._



  * _I paid a visit to the butchers today. My next try was with the blood of a bear, but two hours after consuming it, I was sick again. My stomach rejected it. I acquired a pure vampire subject from the organization. My next experiments will involve him. Perhaps people who were born vampires react differently._



  * _Pure vampires last a shorter amount of time without blood. They become vicious and frenzied just after three days. I waited until the vampire became desperate before feeding the subject the same blood I have consumed before. His body rejected it after three hours and twenty minutes._



  * _The vampire subject seems calmer today. His body rejected the blood yesterday, but a closer investigation shows that some of it was absorbed into his body. I fed him the same again. This time, he was sick after four hours, and his body accepted half of the blood._



  * _Yet again, the subject was fed blood of a bear. This time, the subject did not become sick and the blood was accepted. I will need more results to make sure my hypothesis is correct._



  * _Today, I tried drinking blood of a bear again. My body rejected it after two hours._



  * _Another try. This time, rejection took two hours and twenty minutes. My subject, however, fully accepts the animal blood. Tomorrow, I will try with the blood of a different animal._



  * _Another try. My body rejected the blood after three hours. Some of it seems to have absorbed, I don't feel as thirsty. My subject, however, received the blood of a deer. The blood was fully accepted._



  * _It has been twelve days. My hypothesis is correct. Animal blood is a substitute for human blood. It is hard to get used to, which can certainly put many vampires off. It seems that pure blood vampires get used to the taste quicker than turned vampires do; it might be to do with the fact that they had human blood running through their veins for so long. The type of animal blood does not matter. It takes around five days to get the vampiric organism used to the taste; I am yet to find out whether that differs for different people. However, I am not sure how many people I can persuade of this. The taste of animal blood is not the most attractive one, but it keeps us alive. I have successfully found a substitute; perhaps now Commander Arden Smith will understand._




Eren sat there for a long time after reading the passages. They were all written in the scribble he knew as his fathers writing, and just looking at it brought him comfort. But whether he believed the words on the page, he was not sure. Could it be that easy?

This would change so much. Vampires surviving on animal blood would not be a danger to society anymore, and perhaps then, peace really would prevail. But, was there really a guarantee that vampires would give up human blood for the bland taste of animal blood?

He flipped a few pages and found more passages.

  * _Prolonged exposure to silver can be deadly. Through my time, I have found that some vampires can build up a larger resistance to silver, but it is the only element still able to hurt them. Commander Arden Smith asked me to work on the weak spots of vampires. This is going to be a long couple of weeks._

  * _The organization supplied me with a vampire subject. It is not right to experiment on an innocent, but Arden was very clear that I need to be useful to the organization now that I am no longer a human._

  * _I have found nothing abnormal so far. Main arteries bleed, but they are not threatening until the vampire bleeds out. The frenzy to feed and instinct overtake, then. I have found that a vampire can remain in a blood frenzy for an estimate of a month before dying of starvation. The subject is dead._

  * _Another subject was brought in. I tried places which are less obvious. The backs of the knees seem to have a slightly slower regeneration than the rest of the body. It seems that it would be easy to strike at the knees, stop the vampire from moving, and then kill it. This might be useful information._

  * _No other weak spots found so far. However, I have found that the skin on the wrists and forearms is more resistant and of a harder nature than the rest of the body. It has clearly evolved since vampires would be bound with silver at the wrists or arms. It is a clever evolution, and it makes me wonder just how amazing we can be one day._

  * _It seems I stumbled onto something. Vampire biology is not fully known yet. After numerous tries, I have found that the nape of the neck holds a gland I have never seen before in a human. It seems that this gland helps the vampire heal faster. After the nape of the neck becomes injured, healing becomes slow and painful. Commander Arden Smith seems to rejoice at the news, which is slightly worrying. I cannot predict what he will do with all of this information._

  * _However, the gland grows back within a matter of minutes. It is not as big of a victory as he thought it was. It seems, vampires were created to be tough to kill, and that is exactly what they are._




Eren never knew about the nape of the neck. It seems that, even today, researchers still haven't been doing all the research his father did. His hand instinctively massaged over the nape of his neck with a grimace. It seemed his father wasn't happy about doing research which aimed at hurting vampires. Now that Eren knew what had happened, he understood why. He only assumed Arden Smith was part of the organization, and couldn't help but wonder if the surname made him related to the Commander that Eren knew personally.

The next note wasn't until a few pages in of numbers that Eren didn't understand. His father's writing changed slightly, and Eren noted that it was not written with feather and ink anymore, but a modern pen. He skipped to the last set of notes in the journal, in hopes of seeing the last notes his father would ever write.

  * _With the technology I acquired, I was able to take a closer look at samples of my DNA. I might be able to create a vaccine, or perhaps something that would help vampires survive in the modern world. Silver lurks around every corner, and so do hunters._

  * _A vaccine seems impossible. How can I create a vaccine for something which is only formed after a person dies? After numerous tries, I have given up on the idea. I will, however, wonder if a cure is possible._

  * _I took a closer examination of my DNA. A cure would be impossible. We are, technically, dead. There is no cure for being dead._

  * _I took apart some strands of my DNA. I might be able to alter the gene which makes us vulnerable to silver. But changing a gene inside a grown vampire doesn't seem like a possible solution. Only an experiment with an unborn subject would prove real results._

  * _Carla would hate me if she knew. I injected her with the possible liquid. It should work inside her body to alter the genes of our unborn son. I can only hope the results will be positive. We have waited a long time for a child._




Eren froze at the words. A sudden hatred for his father arose and anger bubbled up. How could he just inject his own wife with something that didn't have sure results? He could have killed her! How could he be so inconsiderate? How could he care so little for Eren's health?!

  * _Our baby boy, Eren, is with us. I have not had the chance to see if my experiment produced positive results yet. He is a pure blood vampire. This is something amazing; neither of us were born vampires. Here is to hoping he will live a long, happy life._

  * _I managed to get a sample of Eren's blood. The gene isn't present. Although there are many different genes responsible for vulnerability to silver, I managed to get rid of the main one. Silver will still hurt him, but not as much as other vampires. The organization would not be happy with my results if they knew; after all, I created the perfect soldier._

  * _There is something else. Carla saw Eren do something weird today. Further investigation will be needed._

  * _It happened suddenly. I didn't get rid of the gene; it seems to have evolved on its own. After my investigation, it would almost look like silver runs through his veins. It doesn't happen often and it happens suddenly._

  * _The reaction answers to bursts of emotion. The gene reacts and something changes within him. The air became different; it became hard to breathe. I also recognised he has an easier time managing the aura that hangs around him; it's impressing._

  * _I don't believe in magic, I am a scientist, after all. But today might have changed that. When Eren gets passionate about something, which he does often, there are traces of silver in his blood. He reacts in anger a lot, and Carla hopes to subdue his temper before he grows into it. It might, perhaps, be a good idea. One of the neighbourhood kids hit his friend yesterday; Eren got mad and something happened. Coming from me, as an empiricist, this is huge. A nearby silver pole moved. The air changed and my throat started to burn. Eren himself coughedthrough the change, but still continued. If I didn't know better, I would say that there was silver in the air. Itis possible that Eren might be able to manipulate silver. There might be a possibility he could learn to control it, although, with his discipline, this will be a long process._

  * _He can't control it. It happens and he doesn't know it's him doing it. Carla understands. She wants to keep it from him, but I don't believe it's right. The power is indescribable. If the hunters found out about his abilities, they would use him and manipulate him for their own side. I've created a monster, and he's going to have to live with it for the rest of eternity._

  * _If you're going to read this someday, Eren, just know this: I never meant to hurt you, but sometimes, sacrifices have to be made for science. I've made you better; I've made you powerful and destroyed your weaknesses. You can-_




He closed the journal and stopped reading, holding back the tears brimming in his eyes. He wiped his eyes and then shoved the journal away.

His father thought he was a monster. These abilities weren't natural, and now, hunters knew he had them. They would use him, just like his father predicted. They would use him to kill vampires, and he was close to joining them willingly because the revenge inside him clawed to be made true. But, in the end, he was simply a tool.

He felt a hatred for his father, one he never felt before. This journal showed him how much of a different man his father was. He thought he was a different person, a good person.

In the end, everybody wanted to use him for their own gain. Hell, even Levi probably had a hidden meaning for his actions. 

Which is exactly why he couldn't tell them about this. They couldn't know everything about him. If Levi knew how much of a monster he was...

He opened the journal and stared down at the last pages, the ones which revealed his true nature. Without another thought, he gripped them tight and ripped them out, hearing the paper tear loudly. He stood up straight and looked down into the darkness from the balcony. He then extended his hand and let those pages fly into the air, hoping they would never be found.

~~*~~*~~

**Thursday 1 st January 3AM**

 

“I will not have him ruin all of our plans.”

“I dare you to do it again.”

He started to regain his consciousness and the pain at the back of his head made itself known again, shooting continuous waves to his head and making him dizzy. He opened his eyes and quickly squinted at the bright light in the room.

He could make out two figures in the room. One stood by the other side, nonchalantly leaning on a table while the other was knelt by him, looking at him with worry. He was still getting adjusted to the bright light, but he could feel Jean's presence next to him.

“Marco?” 

He turned his head slightly, trying to move his arms but quickly finding they were bound behind his back by something tough. He narrowed his eyes at Jean's face, quickly noticing a split lip before scanning for any more visible injuries.

“What did you get yourself into, Jean?” He whispered, frowning and wanting to reach out and caress the broken skin on Jean's lip, but the ropes stopped him from doing so.

“It's nothing. But you shouldn't be here, Marco.” Jean murmured, shooting a tentative glance towards Annie. “Look, I have to do something, okay? It's important.”

“Jean, you said there would be no more secrets.” Marco spoke firmly, trying to shuffle his hands in the ropes.

“I know.” Jean nodded once, still frowning. His eyes averted down slightly. “I know. But, I'm doing this so you won't have to get involved. It's dangerous.” Once the words were out of his mouth, he knew they were wrong.

“Dangerous? Then it's only fair that I really should know!” He tried to keep his voice down, but something told him that Annie could hear every word either way.

Jean gave him a tight, weak smile. “I know, and I'm sorry.” He shot another look towards Annie. “You can't follow where I'm going. I'll be back soon and then I promise you, we're going to do whatever the hell it is you want.” He cracked a smile. “Hell, you wanted to get out of town, we'll get out of town.”

Annie made her way to the door and as soon as she was out of the doorway, Jean leaned forward, his lips resting against Marco's ear. “I love you, alright? Just don't do anything stupid with this.” He felt Jean's hand reach into his pocket and drop something in there.

Jean left a kiss on his ear and then straightened up, stretching slightly. “Jean, don't.” Marco murmured, looking up at him. He didn't like the way Jean was acting, and there was something bigger going on here. “Please don't.”

Jean gave him a smile. “Don't worry so much, freckles. I'll be fine.” He looked away and shoved his hands into his pocket. “I'll see you soon.”

“Jean!” As Jean left the room, Marco's yell after him wasn't loud enough to get out of the walls, but Jean heard it. He heard it and forced the tears back, hoping that everything would really go through as planned.

Little did he know, he was wrong.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I created a very detailed plan of the next few chapters, and found that trying to split them was a freaking nightmare. There are so many things that are going to be happening at the same time, there's going to be multiple points of view in each chapter so there are 6 chapters left, including the epilogue. Everything is going to be happening around the same time, which is why I introduced adding days and times now.  
> Clearly, that is only some of the things Eren read from the journal, not all of it. I felt you guys waited enough. I want to point out that Hanji is not here as comic relief, as much as it may feel that way, but she is the only character I can try and add humour through; she does take things seriously.  
> I'm becoming more and more worried that some of you won't like the ending. Unfortunately, I can't please everybody.  
>  :/  
> But omg I can't with the dmmd anime. Noiz baby is in and the next episode is gonna have him probably kissing Aoba (I can't remember which time it was...) and then you have Clear and Noiz facing off and ugh I can't okay  
> Thanks for all the comments and support guys!  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	27. Labyrinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren make their way through the base to find Mikasa.  
> Ymir and Armin's plan doesn't go the way it was supposed to.  
> Jean, Annie and Reiner have the same goal as Levi and Eren: without knowing it.

**Friday, 2nd January 3:39PM**

“Stop scratching at it! You'll make it worse!” Hanji hissed, walking closely by Levi's side, her eyes carefully scanning both ways before they proceeded forward. 

Levi put his hand down from his neck and turned his head to look at her, sending her one of his worst yet glares. “Well, you were no fucking help, were you?” He snapped. 

Hanji cracked a smirk, “Excuse me, you grimacing garden gnome, my primary job is unfortunately not to create creams that stop vampire bites from itching.” She told him, watching him huff at yet another of her nicknames. She decided she would keep this one. “Besides, the bite makes it more believable.” 

“I'm sure it does.” He murmured back, eyeing the base as they approached. Instinctively, his hand headed for his belt, feeling out the blades stashed under the black leather trench coat he wore. Hanji decided that his usual leather jacket wouldn't cover all the weapons they needed with them, and Eren was eager to see Levi wearing something different, so he really didn't have much choice. 

The doors in front of them opened and they walked into the brightly lit reception room. To civilians, this was a well decorated warehouse. Levi's eyes instantly searched out the cameras in the room, trying to not make it too obvious that he was in fact looking for them, before he quickened his step to match Hanji's again. 

The girl sat at the reception was Rico, as she usually did. Even though she was a member of an elite squad, she was a transfer from Commander Pixis' regimen which meant she wasn't actually ordered to be out on patrols; she was here to help, but unlike others, Erwin couldn't force her to go on a patrol. 

“Rico!” Hanji cheered, leaning on the desk with a massive grin on her face. Levi stood by her, looking as unamused as ever. With clever eyes, Rico observed them both before giving Hanji a reserved smile. 

“We were expecting you slightly earlier.” She commented, typing on her computer. 

“Well, jet lag is a bitch.” Levi commented himself, crossing his arms over his chest and nonchalantly looking around. In the corner of his eye, he spotted the emergency button under the desk. Rico was here alone, for now, but if there was ever a danger close by, the button would sound an alarm. 

Rico nodded at his comment, before answering a phone which had just started to ring. She nodded and murmured a 'yes, sir' before putting it down. “Commander Smith wants to see you in his office.” She told them. “Both of you.” 

Hanji nodded, a smile plastered on her face. “Thanks, Rico!” She called as Levi grabbed her arm and started dragging her towards Erwin's office. They headed up to the third floor in the elevator, remaining quiet the whole way. This was easy to predict. 

Levi didn't bother knocking. He walked in unannounced and headed for the couch, seating himself in it and crossing his legs, his arm resting on the back. Hanji followed in and stood before Erwin, waiting to be spoken to. 

“You're late.” Erwin commented, looking up and giving Hanji a nod before he himself stood up. Hanji took a seat in front of the large desk. “I don't suppose either of you want anything to drink?” 

“Not unless you have something stronger than coffee.” Levi shrugged. 

Erwin sent him a short glance. “There's no alcohol in this room.” He replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “How about tea?” 

“I think you know the answer to that.” 

Erwin let a small smile ghost over his lips as he prepared the tea, knowing fully well how Levi liked his beverage prepared. When he finished, he brought the cup over to Levi, who nodded once in return and then returned to his desk. “Now, would either of you be kind enough to tell me why we don't have the journal?” 

Hanji told him the prepared version of the story, omitting Levi letting Eren go, as well as all the details of Eren and Levi when she wasn't there. That was clearly a story even Erwin wouldn't want to hear. “We tried to follow, but Levi was losing blood so we were in no state to do so. We still don't know his whereabouts.” Hanji finished, frowning slightly. “Have either of his friends heard from him?” 

Erwin's eyes lingered on the bite mark located on the skin between Levi's neck and shoulder before he blinked and turned to Hanji. “We're tracking all the messages sent out from his friend, Armin's phone. He tried to contact Eren, but there is no replies. The vampire is in our custody, so there is no way for Eren to contact her. We're keeping her in the south block.” 

Of course Eren wouldn't be able to reply to Armin. Somewhere along the drive, Levi took away Eren's phone and threw it out the window, as per orders. The phone was lost. 

“I'm still slightly unsure about this.” Erwin spoke up again, sipping on his cup of coffee. “You've never disappointed before, Levi. For an untrained, young vampire to get an advantage over you seems very unbelievable.” 

Levi could see Hanji's shoulders tense slightly from where he sat, and he only hoped Erwin didn't notice the movement since the commander's eyes were fixed on Levi for now. “I agree.” He shrugged dismissively. “But, unfortunately, it's the truth. I'm not invincible, Erwin.” Levi narrowed his eyes slightly. “Are you suggesting I let him go?” He asked, his voice hardening. 

Erwin didn't say anything for a moment before smiling tightly. “Of course not.” He replied simply. “You know too well that an action like that would be considered treason.” 

“Exactly.” 

“Although,” Erwin started again, putting down his cup to cross his arms over the desk. “I am, perhaps, slightly pleased that this happened.” 

“Why?” Hanji asked first, her eyebrows furrowing. It made no sense. 

Erwin gave her a tight smile. “It gives us an excuse to terminate this foolish alliance that we have created.” He explained. “To try and work out a sensible plan if Eren did cooperate would have been a torture. Now, we can simply kill him the first chance we get and get the journal.” 

“Don't talk like that wasn't the plan from the start.” Levi almost growled, telling himself to keep calm. This was Erwin's technique; he was trying to get a reaction out of them which would point to them having worked with Eren. 

Erwin said nothing, but simply turned to Hanji. “Hanji, I need you down at the labs. I think the research team are missing a valuable member.” He told her to which she nodded once, standing up. She looked over to Levi, but when Erwin returned to signing some papers, she understood that Levi wasn't being dismissed. Splitting up wasn't originally a part of the plan. 

She shot Levi a tentative look but when he said and did nothing, she simply opened the door and left the office. 

Erwin remained silent for a while, not a sound in the room except for Levi sipping on his tea and the pen scribbling on paper. “You don't expect me to believe that story, do you?” Erwin spoke up. 

“It's not a story.” Levi dismissed simply. 

“How well do you think I know you, Levi?” Erwin put the pen down and looked up at Levi. 

“Considering you've seen me naked, I would say pretty well.” Levi replied firmly, not letting it show that he was surprised by Erwin's questioning. 

Erwin smiled lightly, knowing fully well that once Levi began to attack, it meant that something wasn't going by his plan. Sarcasm and irony were always his main weapons.”Exactly.” He spoke. “So, how about we make a deal?” 

“I already told you, Erwin, I don't do one-night stands.” Levi replied, faking a bored tone. “Not anymore, anyway.” He added with a smirk creeping onto his lips. 

Erwin completely ignored the raven's teasing. “You tell me where I can find Eren, and I promise you that you will not be punished for deceiving me.” 

Levi raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You always did like punishing me.” 

“Treason is highly punishable, Levi, and you know this. You learned this the day you took the vows.” Erwin pointed out. “You can still make this right. Tell me where he is and all will be forgiven. I can assure no harm will come to Hanji either, since I presume she was involved.” He paused for a second, licking his lips. “Of course, that means that Eren will die.” 

Levi stopped smirking, noticing that the teasing was clearly doing nothing to annoy Erwin. He should have seen that coming. “You have no proof that I'm lying.” He simply commented, leaning back against the couch again. 

“You're right.” Erwin agreed. “But I do know one thing,” He started and leaned forward on the desk, his gaze catching Levi's. “I know that Mikasa will be dead by Sunday if Eren doesn't show up. Furthermore, I know that your boy toy will hate your forever if you let his sister die when you could save her.” 

Levi laughed lightly. “Oh, you do always make me laugh, Erwin.” He chuckled. “Don't pretend you'll keep Mikasa alive.” 

Erwin said nothing to Levi's point. “It's your choice, Levi.” He spoke simply and leaned back against the chair. 

Levi's eyebrows furrowed for a second and he leaned off the couch. “Why do you hate them so much? Surely, as a tactician, you can see the benefits of an alliance with vampires.” 

Erwin said nothing to that, but not because he was silenced by the question but because this was the time when an alarm blared throughout the room. A red light flashed in the corner and Levi immediately sat up, not seeing something like this before. They were trained for it, but it never actually happened. 

Erwin stood up firmly and pressed the button on his telephone. “Rico.” 

“Sir, it's a 501. We have a dangerous group of vampires on Forest Avenue. Two of ours are already down. Sightings show at least twenty vampires.” 

Erwin opened the drawer of his desk and took out a gun, loading bullets into it which Levi had not seen before. He placed the gun in his holster before grabbing two blades, similar to Levi's, and heading for the door. Levi remained in his place. 

“You heard her, Levi. We need everybody there.” Erwin told him, his hand already on the door. Levi stared at him for a second, his eyebrows furrowed. With his weapons on and a determined look on his face, Levi couldn't help but find him superior and there was a certain spark in those blue eyes which Levi had not seen for some time. 

“Right.” He stood up. “I'll be right behind you. I need to get my things.” 

Erwin nodded once, clearly time was running short for him to analyse Levi right now. He headed out of the room. Levi waited a few seconds before walking out of the room, his hand digging into his pocket for his phone. He dialled Hanji, but after a few rings, he received no answer. 

“Fucking shitty glasses.” 

None of this was planned, but he would be lying if he said it didn't make things easier. 

He hurried his step slightly to look like he was in a hurry to get somewhere while he passed a few other hunters running the opposite way. With the alarm still blaring, it was clear that the situation was serious. The building would clear out of any hunters, only leaving the people watching over the cameras and a few needed members here and there. He looked down at his phone: 4:34PM. It would have to do. 

He took a right and then a left, heading for the designated place. Reaching for the doorknob, he found it closed and cursed under his breath. Checking that nobody was around, he broke the lock with a swift kick and walked in with a smirk. Kicking down doors was probably lesson two during training. 

He walked over to the window in the far corner of the storage room and smashed his elbow through it, knowing that opening it wouldn't be far enough to let a person through. He looked out of the window with a frown, looking up to the roof. “Eren!” He hissed, as loud as he could. 

After a few seconds there were footsteps and Eren's head popped up, bent over the edge of the roof. “You're early.” He pointed out. They found it was easier to get Eren to the roof and let him in through a third floor window than trying to get past all the security and cameras down below. 

Levi stepped away from the window and crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot on the floor. He heard shuffling before Eren swung down into the room, a grin plastered on his face. “If I knew I was that flexible, I would have taken gymnastics.” He commented. 

Levi rolled his eyes before his eyes widened with realisation. “So you didn't know whether you'd be able to get in?” He hissed, his arms straightening by his sides. 

“I hoped.” Eren replied, the teasing grin still on his face. 

“I swear to God, Jaeger,” Levi murmured, his hand massaging at his temple while he began walking towards the door. “When we're done here, I'm gonna test that flexibility of yours.” He murmured and heard Eren's breath hitch slightly. He stopped by the door and turned to look at Eren. “Don't get horny now. Mikasa is in the south block. Let's get going.” 

~~*~~*~~

**Friday, 2nd January 4:22PM**

“Right. Remember: we have a reason for being there; we're allowed to be there. Just shut up and stay by my side.” Ymir murmured, her eyes not moving from staring forward at the entrance to the base. Armin tried to match her step, having to hurry slightly since Ymir's steps were large and she herself seemed rather anxious. 

“What if they say I can't come in?” He muttered beside her, trying to ask all the questions before they went inside. 

“I'll figure it out.” She assured him. “Remember: three cameras in the reception. A camera down each hallway. Staying by the left wall always lowers the risk of being seen. All the cameras have that weak spot.” She repeated once again and Armin nodded in response anyway. She had told him that multiple times, but he still found it comforting to hear it again.

They walked through the door and Armin straightened, his arms firmly by his sides as he tried to keep a blank face. Ymir walked over to the reception desk and leaned on it, a nonchalant expression on her face. “Rico. Tell Nanaba that Armin is here. He's supposed to help them with experiments.” 

Rico eyed Armin skeptically, sizing him up for a second. Her lips pursed,”I'm not too sure he's allowed in, under the circumstances...” She trailed off slowly, reaching for the phone. “I'll have to check in with Commander Smith.” 

Ymir reached her hand out and stopped Rico's, pausing her movement. “Don't.” Ymir spoke quickly, trying to take control of the situation. Armin felt himself tense next to her. “I'm sure he's busy. He's a busy man.” She chuckled slightly. “Besides, Armin always helps them. It's a routine. And I'm here to make sure he doesn't get into trouble.” 

Rico said nothing for a second before nodding slowly. “I suppose Hanji will want to hear about the recent progress.” She pointed out. 

Armin perked up. “Hanji?” He asked quickly. “She's back? And Levi? And...Eren?” He spoke the last name doubtfully, knowing that the situation occurred. However, this would make him seem clueless and in addition, would perhaps get him more information on what was happening with Eren. 

Rico rolled her eyes. “Hanji and Levi returned an hour ago. Eren is gone.” She told him firmly. “Just go through to the labs. I have other things to do.” She shook her head slightly and returned to typing on the computer. 

Armin wanted to ask more questions, but Ymir took is as the dismissal it was and pulled him away. As soon as they got around the corner, she slammed his back against the wall. “What the hell are you doing? I told you to stay quiet!” She hissed. 

“I wanted to know more.” He replied confidently, trying to break free from her grasp. “They're my friends, Ymir! I want to know that they're safe and-” He broke off when suddenly a loud noise started blaring through the building and red lights filled the hallways. 

Ymir's eyes widened and she froze, her mouth opening slightly to try and form words. “Shit!” She swore, turning around to look down the hallways. He could already see people running down, he could hear their panicked yells and murmurs and the sounds of heavy boots thumping against the hard ground. 

Ymir looked around quickly before stepping to the other side of the hallway and opening a door. She grasped Armin by the lapel of his jacket and shoved him forward, pushing him into the room he quickly recognised as a small closet. 

“There's an emergency happening. Stay in here until everything calms down.” She told him quickly, her hand wandering to her belt and grabbing at her car keys. “I'll be back as soon as I can. Everybody has to go. Stay in here, Armin. Mikasa is in the south block, and it's an easy way from here, but there are things in this building that are better left behind closed doors.” She explained quickly before turning around and scanning the hallway quickly again. 

“Stay here.” She snapped again and then shut the door, leaving him in the darkness, with only the sounds of people rushing outside the door.

~~*~~*~~

**Friday, 2nd January 4:48PM**

The automatic doors slid open before her, clearing the way to the desired target. She stepped into the building, her blonde hair tied tightly into a bun at the back or her head. Two more people followed in behind her.

Rico looked up as the door opened and she stood up from her seat. "Can I help you?" She asked cautiously, one of her hands resting on the gun hidden behind her jacket while the other crept closer to the emergency button under the desk. You could never be too careful. 

Jean observed Annie's nails elongating just a split second before Rico did. She raised her gun at the same time that Annie made a run for it. 

When the shot rang, it missed by a landslide and Annie stood behind Rico. Unfortunately, the hunter couldn't predict just how fast the pure blood vampire could be, and that was what brought her down. Jean watched as Rico turned, her hand curling into a fist but as she turned, Annie's hand came down and the sharp points of her deadly claws sunk into the skin of Rico's stomach. 

Jean couldn't help the gasp that left him. Blood quickly spread over the spot, turning Rico's white shirt red. Annie retreated her hand and let Rico crash to the ground with a whimper. She turned her back on the hunter and continued down the hallway like nothing happened. 

Reiner followed behind her, looking through the papers at the front desk, and Jean quickly turned into a jog to reach them. He looked over Rico once, watching her struggle to keep her eyes open; the wound was deep, he could smell it and there was no way she would live much longer. Did killing come so easily to Annie?

“South block.” Reiner murmured to Annie, throwing away a piece of paper which clearly told him where Mikasa was. 

Annie said nothing, she simply gave him a nod. “Keep up, Jean.” She murmured, turning a corner into yet another hallway. There, they came face to face with a boy; Jean couldn't call him a man, he couldn't have been older than 19. 

The boy gasped and stumbled back, grabbing at his belt and drawing out a long, silver blade. Annie hissed at the close proximity to silver and narrowed her eyes, her fists clenching. The boy took up a defensive position and clenched his hand over his weapon, keeping his eyes on Annie. “Annie, don't.” Jean spoke up quickly. “He's just a kid.” 

Annie shot him a look from the corner of her eyes and then moved forward. Her speed was truly astounding and her movements were measured carefully. Her foot swept close to the ground, keeping her distance and kicking the boy right under his knee. He lost his balance and collapsed to the ground, the weapon leaving his hand. 

Annie said nothing and simply walked past him. She clearly took into consideration what Jean said. He breathed a sigh of relief and hoped the boy wouldn't try and attack again; besides, he was too much of a shivering mess on the floor to even stand up and face them. 

He followed after Annie, but Reiner stopped and turned to the boy. He set his large foot upon the boy's throat and pressed down. Jean started forward but felt a hand grab his arm, pulling him forward. Annie kept her grip on his arm tight and Jean could do nothing but watch as the boy pushed and pulled at Reiner's foot, trying to get it off. Then, came the inevitable crack as Reiner moved his foot in a precise motion and the boy's body became perfectly still. 

“How can you be so cruel?!” Jean yelled, ripping away from Annie. “He was just a kid! He didn't know anything about us, or the organization!” 

Annie gave him a cold look before he felt his back hit the wall, her forearm pressing against his throat. He was taller than her by a couple of inches, but she still overpowered him with ease. “Cruel? I'm fighting for the weak.” She answered him. “There are many more hunters than there are vampires. For every vampire in the world, there are four hunters. We're the prey, here; we're the weak.” She paused and pushed away from him, leaving him breathless. “I just want the weak to be considered human too.”

She continued walking down the hallway like nothing happened. Jean silently pondered how their friend, Berwick, was doing with the distraction. When Jean heard he got 26 vampires to fight alongside him to distract all the hunters, he couldn't help but be impressed. Vampire were, clearly, capable of working together for a bigger cause. Or, well, what Annie thought was the bigger cause.

“Reiner, go.” Annie spoke as they came to a stop. “Call me if you see anything. Hurry.” Reiner nodded and turned down one hallway, his steps quickening slightly. “Reiner!” She called him after a second to which he paused and turned around. “Stay safe.” 

He gave her a crooked grin, “Right back at you.” He replied and then turned back again, continuing down the hallway before he turned and they lost sight of him. 

Jean turned towards Annie. He could still remember what their original plan had been like, and somehow, he felt that having Mikasa by his side would have been rather comforting. Unfortunately, they had to rearrange their plans when she was captured. 

“Let's get Mikasa.” Annie murmured, starting down the other hallway with Jean following closely behind. “Keep your eyes open.” She told him firmly. “You never know what kind of messed up crap they could have around here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I just realized how long each chapter is going to be! So, everything is going to be happening around the same time at the same place, but I'll still continue the different points of view since different groups have different plans. I hope you liked the slight teasing Levi was trying to input into the chapter; after all, I figured sarcasm is his main weapon. I can never be sure how I pictured Erwin, but then again, I'm not very good with his character.  
> I'll try to update on a weekly basis! I have three days of school left but then my job hunt begins...  
> Anybody feel like guessing what will happen next with each group? Give it a go! I'd love to hear your theories! I'm loving the responses you guys are writing! Like, I absolutely adore looking at what you think the ending is gonna be and smiling to myself at whether you're right or wrong :P  
> So, thank you for everything and I hope you'll enjoy the story until the very end :)  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	28. He Greeted Death As An Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Levi+Eren) _“They push you in here with a single weapon.” Levi told him. “And let a rabid, starved vampire in through that door. Either you kill the vampire or it kills you.”_
> 
> (Marco) _He sprinted off down the hallway and hoped he would get to Jean before the hunters did._
> 
> (Erwin) _There were many dead hunters lying in their own puddles of blood, some being fed on by the rabid vampires._
> 
> (Armin) _The worst was, the doors didn't look like they were supposed to keep anybody out; they looked like they were supposed to keep something in._

_Friday, 2nd January 4:45PM_

Eren pulled the hood up, covering his face from the cameras. They didn't know much about the cameras since neither Levi nor Hanji ever bothered with such things, but Levi suspected some of them detected body heat, which would instantly give Eren away: hood or not. He only hoped people in the camera rooms would be busy and distracted with what was happening.

There were still hunters running by from time to time, but Levi's presence beside Eren discouraged them from even glancing their way. Levi had an influence and a reputation that everybody clearly knew about. 

“Captain!” Levi stopped in his tracks and shoved Eren behind him, trying to get him out of sight. Eren quickly bowed his head out of view. Auruo was jogging down the hallway, out of breath. He stopped before Levi and tried to catch his breath while Levi regarded him with a cool stare. “Sir, isn't everybody supposed to assist with the 501?” 

“Yes.” Levi agreed firmly. “Then, what are you still doing here?” He asked, his eyebrow rising questioningly. 

“Commander Smith told me to make sure you were coming.” Auruo explained. “He said it was important for you to be there.” Eren twitched and Levi saw from the corner of his eye; Eren clearly understood the same thing from that sentence that Levi did. Erwin knew something was different. He was keeping an eye on Levi. “He commanded me not to leave before I got you to come with me.” 

Eren saw the spark in Levi and understood it long before Auruo did. Levi cocked his head to the side slightly and regarded Auruo. The other hunter, in turn, switched his gaze to Eren. “Who is that?” 

Something hot burst in Eren's chest at the possibility of getting caught. He wasn't going to risk Mikasa. His nails lengthened slowly into claws and his shoulders tensed, ready to spring into action if it was needed. 

But he didn't need to. 

“I'm sorry, Auruo.” Levi's hands grabbed the taller hunter's shoulders and he brought his knee up, thrusting it into Auruo's stomach which made the hunter double over. Levi then brought his hand back, bent his elbow and struck it right into Auruo's face with such speed and precision, Eren couldn't help but be impressed. 

There was a crack and Auruo fell back to the ground, clearly unconscious from the power Levi put behind the hit. Eren could already see the bruising forming around the hunter's bloody nose. Levi turned and grabbed his arm, pulling him along. “Come on. Someone ought to have seen that.” He murmured, his steps quickening before he set into a jog. Eren followed behind. 

“You didn't have to do that.” He pointed out as they ran down the hallway. 

“True.” Levi agreed with a shrug. “He idolizes me. There's a massive chance he would have even helped us out.” He commented. 

“Then why did you do it?” 

Levi gave him a look from the corner of his eye. “Because there was still that small chance that he would remain loyal to the organization, not me.” He spoke. “I can't risk it. Even that small chance could have ruined everything.” 

Eren nodded, returning to looking forward again. He was actually impressed at how far Levi had come. A week or two ago, Levi was the perfect soldier. He dispatched vampires with ease, executed each task given to him without a second thought and never even thought to rebel against the orders. Now, Eren couldn't help but feel slightly warm thinking about how things have changed. 

Maybe it was true, or maybe he just hoped it was, but it seemed that Levi did all of that for him. It did, clearly, all start when Levi ignored the strictest order of his and let Eren escape with the journal. Eren admired all of those actions; it took guts to break a routine you've built for years, even if it was- dare he say it- for love.

“It's not much further.” Levi promised, his breath hitching slightly. Eren nodded, not feeling the smallest of the impact of their long run. His body was evolved to endure it. They rounded yet another corner and were met with yet another empty hallway. 

Levi slowly began getting suspicious; there should have been guards coming after them if somebody was monitoring the cameras. Somebody was always watching the cameras; emergencies didn't affect their duties, unless there was a fire. 

He stopped in front of a door which seemed to be right. There was a panel with numbers to the side, which clearly acted as a security lock. This was the south block, after all. 

He pressed the digits in the right order and hoped it was the right combination of numbers. The door slid open in front of him and they burst in, both of his hands ready at his weapons while Eren's fangs slid into view and nails lengthened into deadly claws. Ready. 

But there were no armed hunters waiting for them, no bloody torturing tools and, more importantly, no Mikasa. 

The room was empty. 

Eren looked around once more before he cast his eyes back to Levi. Levi froze in his place and was currently looking around the room with wide eyes. Eren wanted to speak, to question, to yell, but the flicker of fear which glinted in the hunter's grey eyes, stopped him. 

So the vampire took another look around the room, straightening his figure and letting his fangs and claws disappear out of view. There was only one other door, straight opposite of them. It was now that he looked closely, he found stains on the floor and walls. They looked old and worn out, probably washed and scrubbed multiple times. He couldn't smell it before, but now that he focused on the old stains, he could smell it: blood. 

“Levi.” He spoke, once panic began settling in the pit of his stomach. 

“I know this room.” Levi spoke blankly, his eyes not moving from the door opposite of them. Then, he swiftly turned and started banging on the door behind them. He struggled and cursed for a moment before turning back to Eren with yet another curse on his lips. “It's locked.” 

Eren understood perfectly that this was, indeed, a trap. “What is this room?” He asked, still seeing that Levi was eager to leave. 

“It's the last stage of training before you become a hunter.” Levi explained quickly, grabbing his blade and taking it out, twirling it around his fingers once. “They blindfold you and bring you here. Based on the skill level they think you have, which is determined over a number of tests and practicals, you're faced with a more difficult challenge.” 

“What challenge?” 

“They push you in here with a single weapon.” Levi told him. “And let a rabid, starved vampire in through that door.” He pointed at the door opposite of them. “Either you kill the vampire or it kills you.” His eyes didn't drift from the door, not even for a moment. 

~~*~~*~~

_Friday, 2nd January 4:12P.M_

He wasn't sure what time it was. He lost the concept of timing over the last few hours. There was a tray of food left on the table by the door, food that he hasn't touched and would definitely not be touching. Jean had previously dropped a pocket knife into his pocket and Marco could do nothing but sit against the wall and simply stare at it. 

He never used a knife before in his life. Well, not this sort of knife. He was very familiar with cooking knives (heck, he didn't win that second place in a cooking competition once for nothing) but just the thought of this knife being used for something other than food made him uncomfortable. 

If that was Jean's attempt at telling him to try and get out of the room, it was really terrible. He didn't know the first thing about lock-picking. 

But there was also an eagerness to get out bubbling in him; Jean was clearly getting himself into more trouble and Marco was used to being by his side when he did. He was there when Jean talked back to a teacher and he tried to come up with a peaceful solution (which ended in both of them getting detention), he was there when Jean was accused of cheating on a test and almost got into a fight (he had great calming techniques developed), and he was there when Jean actually got into a fight (multiple times).

It was those exact thoughts which led him to try again and again to get out of the room. At some point he even considered breaking the window and trying his luck there, but since he was on the second floor, he quickly gave up that idea. 

He also practiced meeting Jean in his head. He tried to persuade himself that the first thing he would do was slap him, but closer consideration made him realize that this was false and the first thing he would do is probably hug his stupid boyfriend. He would then proceed to have a long discussion about what the hell was happening. In the end, he would set a punishment (like the withdrawal of sex), but he quickly realized that punishment would not be one-sided. 

He paused in his actions and looked down at the knife. With one more try, he slid the small knife in between the crack between the door and the wall. He tried to rearrange the knife as to push the lock in, but the knife kept sliding and failing to do the required job. He huffed and pulled it back. 

He couldn't stand the thought of Jean getting hurt. Giving up, instead, he walked over to the desk and tried to open the drawers. The first and second drawers were empty, but he found that the third one was locked. He pondered for a minute before pulling at the lock as hard as he could. Looking at the knife, he brought it forward and wedged it in the small crack. He used both hands to put pressure on and his eyes widened as the lock cracked and the drawer opened. 

What he found inside were stacks of papers. They looked like the outline of a building, but he wasn't sure what building it was. He didn't think he had seen it before. From the mere size of it, he could only guess it was a warehouse of some sort. However, there was the address scribbled on top of the page so without another thought, he ripped the piece off and shoved it into his pocket. Jean would surely be there. 

His suspicion was quickly pointing to either a robbery or break-in, but he only hoped that it wouldn't be something Jean was involved in. There was also the small detail that Annie and her friend, Reiner, were involved; and they were certainly not human. 

He tried at the door again and his eyes widened as he managed to get the knife in position and started pushing the lock back into place. With the lock being pushed in, the door opened in front of him and he immediately got to his feet. 

He ran out of the room and down the stairs he remembered going up. When he finally got out of the house, he quickly looked around. He looked down at the piece of paper and tried to work out the fastest route to get there. Taxi would have been an obvious choice, but he found that his phone had been taken off him. 

Instead, he couldn't waste any more time. He set off running down the sidewalk and hoped the address wasn't as far as it seemed. Turning a corner, he managed to bump into somebody, which sent their grocery bag flying. 

He immediately stopped and helped to pick up the contents of the bag, apologies spewing from his mouth towards the woman. “I am so sorry.” He repeated again. She gave him a polite smile and dismissed it. “Excuse me, but, could you tell me the time?” She informed him it was 4:51PM. He thanked her and set off running again, more careful this time. 

It was another ten minutes straight of running (he silently thanked Jean for dragging him to his own daily jogging sessions) and when he stopped, he stopped in front of a large building. Considering the previous time, it was probably around 5:05PM, now. Without a second thought, he walked in. 

The reception was empty. There was a large red light flashing in the corner, but there was no sound coming from it. He studied it briefly before walking down to the desk. He looked around, but found nobody there. It was only when he heard a faint cough that he stopped. 

He leaned over the desk and his eyes widened as he rushed around, falling to his knees by the wounded girl. There was a deep wound in her stomach which continued to bleed and the smell of blood hung in the air like a fog, making him nauseous. 

“What happened?” He quickly asked, cradling her shoulders. “Where can I phone for help?” He asked again, looking around for a phone. He found one on the desk and quickly picked it up, pressing it to his ear. He was met with a long, blank tone. The phone was dead. 

“They cut th' lines.” The girl coughed out, blood dribbling down from the corners of her lips. 

Marco found a pack of paper towel to the side of the desk and brought them forward, looking over her injuries. “We should put pressure on that.” He told her quickly, ripping a few of the towels. 

“Don't.” She told him weakly, managing at a weak smile. “It's too 'ate. Look 't all 'e blood.” She stuttered through the words weakly. “I need you t' do somethi'.”

“What is it?” He asked her, wiping at the blood around her lips with furrowed eyebrows. 

“Th' button.” She raised her hand slightly and pointed to a red button hidden under the desk. “Emerg'cy butt'n.” He nodded and stood up, taking the two steps towards the desk and pressing the button. There was no sound, nothing changed. 

He turned to look at her. She gave him a small nod and closed her eyes. “They'r' comin'.” 

His eyebrows furrowed. “Who's coming?” 

“Hunters.” 

His eyes widened at that one word. Jean had told him enough; hunters were there to kill vampires. Last he checked, Jean was still a vampire. He looked towards the hallway. By 'they', he supposed the girl meant Jean and Annie and Reiner. 

As much as he didn't want to leave the dying girl there, he had to continue moving. He had to warn Jean that hunters were coming. He sprinted off down the hallway and hoped he would get to Jean before the hunters did. 

~~*~~*~~

_Friday, 2nd January 5:09PM._

There was a silent buzz lost between the sounds of metal crashing against metal or metal piercing through flesh. He felt the soft vibration and doubled his efforts, spinning and dodging before piercing a silver blade right through the chest of a bloodsucker who was out to get him. He reached for the phone and looked down at the screen. 

“Mike!” Erwin's yell sounded over grunts and groans and screams. Mike spun, blindly piercing at the nearby vampire's arm as to try and stop him from attacking too much. They were still outnumbered. “The base has been compromised!” Erwin's yell made the other male's eyes widen. 

Mike said nothing and turned towards the vampire he was fighting, dodging the attack and then attacking from down under, piercing the silver blade under the ribcage and straight into the heart. The vampire clawed at the blade which now remained stuck in its flesh, but Mike simply shoved his foot at the vampire's abdomen and pulled the blade out, leaving the vampire to screech and die on the ground. 

“Go back!” He yelled to Erwin, pulling along yet another vampire to fight. “Take a few with you!” He added quickly, dodging the deadly claws of the vampire. Erwin, in the midst of fighting a vampire, finished the creature off and looked hesitantly at Mike. 

“Are you sure?” He yelled, enclosing on Mike and helping the other hunter kill the vampire that he was fighting. He reached out a hand to Mike, who had ended up on the ground, and pulled him up. 

Mike nodded quickly. “We can handle it.” He promised and Erwin didn't need any more than that. He trusted Mike's judgment. Mike knew that this was what he signed up for and any bad results could never be blamed on anybody else. 

Erwin yelled out to a few hunters out of the group and pushed through the crowd of vampires with them, setting off into a run towards the nearest car. There were many dead hunters lying in their own puddles of blood, some being fed on by the rabid vampires. He spotted a familiar corpse with dark hair and a freckled face and turned away, clenching his jaw and continuing towards the car. He had developed a liking towards Ymir and her blank humour. 

One person he didn't see, however, was Levi. To be fair, he couldn't even find him amidst the group of fighting hunters, which confirmed his suspicions. 

While he started the engine, in the corner of his eye, he spotted a dark-haired, smaller vampire sneaking up behind Mike. 

But even if he were to act, it would be too late now. 

The car started and Erwin looked away at the same time the vampire bit into the skin of Mike's neck. He heard the hunters in the back seat yelling and screaming, pleading for Mike to fight them and get up. 

Just before they turned out of the alley, in the corner of his eyes, he saw the vampires crowd around the corpse of what used to be his best friend.

~~*~~*~~

Friday, 2nd January 5:11PM. 

He couldn't tell how much time passed. The battery on his phone had died and he cursed as he remembered that he had, in fact, forgotten to charge it since he was too busy nagging Ymir about the plan. 

He couldn't hear anything outside the door of the closet, unlike some time ago when hunters would be running there and back. It seemed that everything calmed down now. 

He took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. Ymir told him to wait, but time was running out and Ymir was nowhere to be seen so it seemed that he had to take it all into his own hands. The gun that Ymir had given him was a heavy burden inside his jacket. He didn't even understand how to use it! He had never shot a gun in his life! For emergencies, was what she said. 

He opened the door slowly and looked outside, carefully examining whether it was safe to leave the closet. Mikasa was in the south block, so all he had to do was head south. Ymir had explained how the system worked and directed him as to which hallway led where. 

The north block was mostly training rooms and labs, stacked with tons of equipment. The west block was filled with offices where hunters worked to avoid any problems with the law, explained cases to the police, filed wanted cases and worked for additional funding. All the paperwork happened there. The east block was lunch rooms, kitchens, empty bedrooms and the first aid hall, in case hunters needed all of this. The south block, however, was always a mystery. It was believed that hostage rooms were there as well as labs for the more experienced hunters. Not many people have been to the south block, and only the highest of the highest were allowed to go there. 

Ymir had warned him that the door might have a passcode lock to which she gave him a screwdriver and taught him how to override those types of locks. She was a great person and an amazing hunter. If he came out of this alive, he would fall to his knees in front of her with gratitude. 

Walking down the hallway, he quickly registered all the signs on the walls and found that he must have been nearing the south block. He turned into yet another hallway and was faced with many pairs of doors on both sides of the wall. 

He approached them and looked closely. The doors had no passcode locks but instead there were huge, massive bars across them. The doors themselves looked heavy and unbreakable, but just pulling back the bar would have opened them, he concluded. The worst was, the doors didn't look like they were supposed to keep anybody out; they looked like they were supposed to keep something in. 

In addition, the bar has slipped from its place slightly, as if somebody had pulled it back halfway but didn't want to open the door fully. It looked on the verge of being ripped open. He backed away quickly and instead hurried down the hall, passing by many doors which looked exactly the same. 

However, he froze once he saw something else. 

He turned to the side and his eyes widened at the door which stood open before him, the lock ripped apart from the rest of it. His hand wavered on the gun in his pocket as he took a step forward, looking into the room. 

His whole body froze at the simple monstrosity of it all. His stomach tumbled slightly and he heaved, covering his nose with his other hand. There was blood covering the walls, and it looked as if it had been there for some time. There was nothing in the room, not even a bed; it was white and empty. Not even a window. It looked like a cell. 

He turned to the door which was swung open and brought his hand up, his fingers following the pattern engraved in the metal. He understood quickly what the pattern was and stumbled back; they were fingernail marks. Somebody has scratched and scratched at the door, at the metal door, in the hope of getting out. 

He started running down the hallway again, this time, hoping he would bump into a hunter so that he could tell them what was happening. 

He rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks. 

The foul smell reached his nose first. The smell of rotting flesh and fresh blood hung heavily in the air and he heaved slightly, keeping himself from throwing up. There was a figure crouched over another at the end of the hallway and by the usual dark clothes, he could recognize the man who lay motionless on the ground as a hunter. 

The figure crouching by the hunter was far from innocent. Armin felt sick just looking at it all. It dipped it's fingers in the blood smeared around the hunter's neck and brought it's hand up, licking at the red liquid with a hiss. 

Armin's hand trembled as he soundlessly reached to his pocket, his hand gripping the gun and bringing it out. It was useless. Once the vampire saw him, he would be dead. A bullet wouldn't be able to kill a vampire. Only silver to the heart could do that; Ymir had given him that gun in hopes of him coming across unfriendly people, not vampires. 

Stifling a cry that was working it's way up, he started backing away slowly, the gun pointed at the vampire with trembling hands. 

But the vampire's sense of hearing was too good. It stood and turned, noticing Armin with blank eyes. 

This vampire looked nothing like Armin had seen Eren or Mikasa look. Even in their most threatening states, his two friends were not even close to the monstrosity that this vampire was. 

The blood around the vampire's mouth had dried up, creating a terrifying and disgusting mask. His breathing was heavy, gravelly echoing through the quiet, empty hallways. His fangs were on full display, sharp, deadly canines which had killed the hunter; his eyes were feral, red veins popping out around the eyes, filled with the victim's blood. The eyes itself: there was only a very thin line of a blue iris around the huge, black pupils. His nails were claws, but the colour of them was not the colour Armin had ever seen; they were fully black and now, covered with blood. 

As the vampire stared at him, his lip twitched slightly and his tongue darted out, licking over the excess blood around his lips. There was a small trail of drool mixing in with the dry blood around its mouth and Armin came to the conclusion that this vampire didn't seem to have a conscience, but he tried anyway. 

“I don't want to hurt you.” He spoke, his voice quivering at the sight of the vampire cocking his head slightly. It didn't look like it understood words. 

And everything pieced together. The hallway full of heavy, thick doors did hold something in. The hunters kept vampires trapped in those rooms and reduced them to a state of wild beasts which killed anything in their paths. This vampire had broken out. Once a vampire became hungry enough, it's first instinct was to kill and feed. 

This is exactly what the vampire in front of him was thinking: kill and feed. 

The vampire took a step forward, dragging his hand along the wall, leaving blood marks and deep scratches as well as creating an unpleasant sound. It was then that Armin understood it was too late to run; the vampire would outrun him any day. 

His finger hovered over the trigger while his thumb pulled back the safety lever. He didn't know what he was expecting; could he actually shoot a person? The man was a vampire, that was true, but he was still a person. Could he kill without a second thought?

He didn't get another second to think over all of this. The vampire's movements suddenly became quick and he raced towards Armin, fangs in display and claws ready to rip flesh apart. 

Armin's hands trembled again as the vampire neared. 

He couldn't do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's three dead. There is more to come :)  
> I really enjoyed writing the Marco bit. He's just so nice and so polite but always so worried and ugh so many feels. Strangely, I also ship EruMike so that was kind of sad. RIP Mike. And Ymir was actually a last minute improvised death. Her death kind of ties in with my epilogue so that happened. Kind of sad I didn't give her a better death; she deserved one. Did I mention I actually love Rico? So I didn't like her dying.  
> So, summer started and yet I'm still too busy to write more than I am. Sorry guys! It appears I actually have a social life this summer, which is quite strange for me.  
> I dunno, I thought you'd like these chapters, like, to me they seem kind of action-y and important but judging by the smaller amount of responses than other chapters, I don't know what to think. Are you guys getting bored?  
> Next chapter up probably next weekend. As you can see, you really have to keep an eye on timing. Everything is happening at the same time.  
> So, what do you think will happen next? I loved reading your guesses from the last chapter! What did you think about the deaths so far (Ymir, Rico, Mike)? What do you think will happen with Armin? What's gonna happen in the room Eren and Levi are in? Who will Erwin encounter first when he gets back? :P  
> Thanks for reading!  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	29. Mouse In A Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin deals with the consequences of his decision.   
> Jean and Annie find themselves stuck in a room with very unlikely people.   
> Marco is the one to accomplish the task which nobody else did.   
> Eren understands that the trap is more dangerous than they expected.

People say that before you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes. It's a small comfort; just before your death, you get to see your happiest moments, the people you love, the mistakes you've made, the tearful times, the once in a lifetime opportunities: your whole life. 

None of that is true, even though Armin wished it was. The single, valuable few seconds that you have left of your life are not long enough for you to see everything you ever did. He wished he could see the faces of the people he loved one last time; it would be sort of comforting before the pain came. 

Unfortunately, reality sinks its ugly teeth into you and all that happens is, you panic. 

His back slid down the wall, his body shivering, his arms trembling as they wrapped around his body, the gun long forgotten on the ground. He could still hear the gunshot piercing through the silent halls and the screech of pain that followed. Then another. Another. Another. And another, until the gun clicked to signal it was out of bullets. 

He had shot someone. 

The feeling in his stomach was nagging at him to move, to run, to get away from the scene; the bullets wouldn't stop the vampire for ever. But the conscience in the back of his head kept him frozen in place, made him sick with guilt. The tears continued trailing down his cheeks, and the trembling of his body didn't cease. 

The feeling returned as his eyes strayed to look upon the body again, and this time, he had no strength to stop it. He bent to his knees and emptied the contents of his stomach, feeling a shiver running down his spine. 

Once he straightened again, his conscience returned together with the feeling of sudden urgency. This was only a simple hurdle in his task to get to Mikasa. With his knees still shaking and a hand pushing against the wall for support, he got up, his eyes not straying from the vampire writhing on the ground. 

He had emptied multiple bullets into the creature, but he knew perfectly well bullets wouldn't kill it. They simply slowed the vampire down, and with the amount of silver in his system, he would take a few minutes to heal. In honesty, Armin didn't have anything on him which was able to kill a vampire. He wasn't prepared to face them in the building. 

He stumbled back and down the hallway he had originally came from. It was then that understanding settled in and his brain recovered from the shock, putting pieces together. 

There were multiple more rooms just like the one that the vampire had broken out of. Something had happened. The locks didn't seem to be as strong as they should have and Armin quickly tried to work out what could have caused the locks to weaken. 

There were multiple thuds and groans of metal now. The starved vampires must have worked out the same thing Armin had, or the simple stench of blood in the air made them even hungrier than they already were. He backed out of the hallway quickly, now even more worried about finding Mikasa as soon as he could. 

If one vampire managed to break out, there was nothing stopping the others from doing the same, and Armin had nothing to defend himself with. 

~~*~~*~~

Friday, 2nd January 5:26PM. 

Their steps were hurried now, a certain panic boiling inside without anybody daring to say it out loud. They heard gunshots, and there was a certain choice to be made: should they run towards the gunshots or away from them? The decision was made when they took an opposite turn, with Annie leading, and clearly staying away. 

“Do we know exactly where Mikasa is?” Jean hurried out, quickening his steps after Annie. 

“We have an idea.” Annie replied simply. That wasn't an exact answer, and Jean wasn't sure whether it should make him feel better or worse. 

He stumbled in his step for a second as he smelt something in the air. “Annie.” He breathed out, hoping she smelt it too. 

“It's vampire blood.” She muttered back. “We definitely don't want to head the way where somebody killed a vampire.” She added quickly, turning yet another corner. “It should be around here somewhere...” She muttered, turning another corner in a hurry. 

Once they turned another corner, she hummed to herself and stopped by a large door. It looked tough and Jean knew for sure they would definitely not be able to break it down. Instead, Annie reached into her pocket and took out some sort of a piece of equipment. 

She reached for a wire hanging out of it before opening a flap on the little pass code security by the door. She connected two wires together and then looked to the screen of her little equipment, her foot tapping against the floor quickly. So the door was locked, and only the right code would open it. 

They stood there for a few seconds as the machine continued beeping. “Get ready.” Annie spoke quickly and Jean nodded, his hand gripping the gun he was handed earlier. Annie had given him a quick tutorial on how to shoot, but his hands still shoot while he held the cold metal low. Shooting the hunters once they were detected seemed easier than facing them in a battle where they probably had the advantage, with their professional training and all.

The machine beeped and then the light on the security panel turned green as the door started to slide open. Once the gap was big enough for them to fit through, they immediately burst into the room, both guns pointed forward. The door behind them closed. 

But there was no Mikasa, no blood, no torturing tools. There weren't any hunters, except for one, accompanied by a pure blood vampire standing next to him, both ready to defend themselves when it came to it.

“Jean? Annie? What the hell is happening? What are you doing here?” Eren was the first to ask all the questions, his claws shortening into nails once he realised they weren’t hunters. Levi kept his gun steadily pointed at the two, while Jean lowered his gun but Annie kept hers up, her eyes focused on Levi.

“We're here for Mikasa.” Jean spoke up, his eyebrows furrowing. “Armin told me you took off with the journal. Why are you here?” Jean asked before his eyes slid over to Levi. “With him, nonetheless?” 

“It was all a set up. I'm not letting them get it.” Eren explained quickly. 

“And your hunter boyfriend is helping you from the goodness of his heart?” Annie sneered suddenly, her hand tightening over the gun. Noticing this, Eren carefully moved to stand in front of Levi, knowing well that a bullet wouldn't kill him, but it would be critical to Levi. 

“Yes.” Eren replied simply, keeping his eyes on her. “What do you care about Mikasa, anyway?” He shot back to Annie. 

“She's helping us.” Annie replied simply before a firm, tight smile stretched over her lips. “You don't know shit about me and Mikasa.” She spoke harshly. 

Levi laughed then, a loud laugh which sounded nothing like his real laugh. It was fake and cold. “You're the reason the alarm was sounded, right? You thought you were clever and could infiltrate the base while all the hunters were out.” Levi pointed out, a teasing grin stretching over his lips. “Well, hate to break it to you, but you're stuck here with us, with no way out.” He shrugged simply and snickered again. 

Annie narrowed her eyes lightly, her eyes looking between Eren and Levi. Eren was the fastest to react when she pressed the trigger, firing a bullet towards Levi. The bullet hit Eren's shoulder instead and he groaned and stumbled when it did, his teeth snapping down in pain as a hiss left his mouth. 

Levi was instantly by him, asking how much it hurt and to hold on, flipping a knife open from his pocket. Eren's eyes widened as Levi removed the bullet quickly, not letting the silver stay long in Eren's flesh. Jean stood there with his mouth open, not understanding what the hell just happened. 

Eren gritted his teeth as he got to his feet, “What the fuck is wrong with you, Annie?” He growled, his claws elongating slowly. Levi was ahead of him, both of his silver blades in their rightful places in his hands. 

“I'm here to get rid of the hunters.” She reminded. “He's a hunter.” 

“I fucking dare you.” Levi growled, his fists clenching over his blades, one of his hands spinning the silver weapon around for show. 

“Guys!” Jean stepped in quickly, looking between both of them. “Fighting isn't going to help us.” He pointed out quickly. 

“No, but what else is there to do in a locked room?” Murmured Levi, the corner of his lips turning up slightly. 

“How about we try to get out?” Jean proposed. 

“Already tried.” Dismissed Eren. 

Jean's eyes widened quickly. “I'm sure Reiner can help us out.” He spoke to Annie with a proposal. The last thing they needed was for a blood bath to start inside the room. 

Annie remained still for a few seconds before she sighed and put her gun down, instead reaching for her phone. “I'll contact him.” 

~~*~~*~~

Friday, 2nd January 5:30PM. 

He had no idea where the hell he was going. Each hallway looked exactly the same and no matter what turn he took, all he saw were the same pairs of doors. He had no idea where the hell he was even going! This building was massive; how could he fool himself into thinking he could find Jean in it? The hunters were coming, and they knew this building much better than he did. 

He turned another corner but then instantly stopped when he heard footsteps and voices. There was a short moment of panic that he had before he grabbed the handle on the nearest door and pushed open, pushing into the room. 

He turned his back to the door and leaned on it with a sigh of relief before looking up into the room. His eyes widened as he realised he wasn't alone. On the other side of the room, kneeling, chained ad gagged, was Mikasa. 

She was covered in blood, her clothes ripped and her hands chained behind her back. Noticing Marco, her eyes widened and she weakly struggled in her chains, her eyes screwing tight as the silver cut into her skin again, whimpering around the gag in her mouth.

He swore under his breath and hurried forward, instantly looking at the chains and trying to find a way to get them off without causing Mikasa too much pain. He understood that since Jean and Annie were looking for Mikasa, and Mikasa was here, then they clearly hadn't found her yet. Perhaps the footsteps outside were them?

The chains dropped and he started working on opening them at Mikasa's wrists, being extremely careful to not cause her pain by touching the injured skin. Once the chains dropped, she pulled the gag out of her mouth and turned to look at Marco, her teeth snapped down into view. 

Marco had his guesses about Mikasa being a vampire before, but he had never seen her like this. He watched as her nails slowly elongated, her eyes scanning over him slowly. “Mikasa?” 

She pounced then, pinning him to the ground, her hand holding down his shoulder while the other grabbed his hair and pulled his head to the side slightly and eyed his neck carefully. He saw the pure hunger in her eyes and understood then that they must have starved her. “Mikasa, don't. Please.” A part of him was willing to help Mikasa, but another part was afraid of her taking too much blood. He still had to find Jean and warn him. 

She paused, her eyes clearing up slightly, her head pulling back slightly. “Marco?” She whispered. “Marco, what are you doing here?” She pushed herself off of him, her teeth still on show and straightened a few steps away from him, uncomfortably wrapping her arms around herself. 

“It's a long story.” He explained, his eyes still wide as he stood up. “Everybody is looking for you. Jean and Annie are here and there are hunters coming back. We all need to get out of her as fast as we can.” 

She nodded instantly. “I'm in no state to fight.” She murmured, swaying slightly but having enough self control to make her sharp teeth hide away again. “What about Eren?” She asked quickly. 

Marco frowned slightly. “I'm sorry, I don't know.” He admitted, his shoulders sagging. 

She nodded, looking around the room quickly. “Let's get going, then.” She sighed, looking over to Marco who nodded in agreement. 

They opened the door and left the room. “We need to find Jean first.” Marco reminded her to which she slowly nodded. They turned the corner and both froze as they spotted figures nearing them. 

Guns were reloaded and pointed at them, to which Marco instantly brought his hands up and Mikasa crouched slightly, her nails elongating into claws as her teeth snapped down in a threatening manner. 

“I wouldn't advise that.” They both looked at the figure emerging from the group of hunters, the tall blond stepping forward. 

“Erwin.” Mikasa hissed, her body tensing slightly. 

“Seems we found our strays.” Erwin spoke up, eyeing them slowly. “Who killed Rico?” He asked, his voice cold and firm. 

Marco's voice shook as he spoke, “When I got there she was already injured.” He mumbled. 

Erwin raised an eyebrow before looking over to Mikasa. “I bet there are more of you, but since we don't have access to the camera rooms, we're going to have to find out differently.” He turned to look at the group of hunters behind him. “Take them.” 

~~*~~*~~

Friday, 2nd January 5:40PM. 

“Come on, Reiner.” Annie hissed to the phone, hearing the signal break off again. She had tried to call him numerous times but each time the signal was either too weak or didn't connect at all. It was clearly something to do with the room which didn't allow her to contact Reiner. 

“What are we supposed to do now?” Spoke up Jean, sliding down one of the walls and wrapping his arms around his knees. Just for a second, he thought about Marco and was glad that Marco was nowhere near this disaster of a mission. 

“Come on.” Annie hissed again into the phone. 

“So much for counting on your friend.” Levi sneered. 

“I promise you, by the end of the day, I'll make sure you're dead.” Annie snapped to the raven. 

Levi rolled his eyes in a reply. “Likewise.” 

Annie's phone rang and she quickly picked it up, pressing a button and answering with a 'hello?'. She frowned at what she heard, “Wait. I can't hear you.” She spoke quickly before pressing the loudspeaker button. 

“Annie this....locked...a trap...hunters are...emergency button and I...Armin...Mikasa is...cells aren't going to....get out...they're inside...a group...heading to...rabid vampires...cells are broken...out and about...go....you still can....” His voice kept breaking up and they only caught bits of what he was saying before the call ended. Annie continued staring at the phone, trying to work out what Reiner meant. 

“What the hell does he mean by 'calls are broken'?” Eren spoke up, furrowing his eyebrows as he straightened. But Levi had paled slowly the whole time Reiner spoke and now the raven stood up, his blades in his hands again. 

“He mentioned the emergency button. It must have been sounded.” Levi spoke up quickly. 

“What the hell is that?” Jean asked. 

“Main offices have those secret buttons which instantly send a message to the highest ranking members of the base to let them know that there is a threat inside the building.” He quickly explained, looking around the room. “Then, the locks are opened and the hunters wait it out slightly before going back in.” 

“What locks?” Eren questioned. 

“There are many vampires held hostage in the building. They're starving and here in case of an emergency like this. Their cages are unlocked and they're here to eliminate the threat. They're running around the building right now.”

“Then it's a good thing we're here.” Jean pointed out with a shrug. 

Suddenly, there was a series of clicks and groans of metal coming from the other side of the room. “This is the worst room we can be in.” Levi growled quickly, getting up and getting into a battle ready stance. “Their cells are connected right to this room.” 

Immediately, all of the people were on their feet, all staring at the same door across the room. 

Eren, however, only thought about one thing. Rabid, starved vampires would try to find fresh blood as soon as they could. Looking around the room, he only found one person who was human. Levi was the primary target if they were to encounter starved vampires. 

And it seems they weren't lucky, either. 

The heavy door on the other side of the room screeched again and then slid open. They all breathed in sharply, awaiting. 

A vampire ran out, hissing and rabid, and headed for Eren, since he was the closest target. He must have then came to his senses and his eyes set on Levi. Hissing again, he changed direction and headed for Levi. 

He didn't get far. The hunter had cut him down with his blade in two sharp, quick moves. Levi spun and then struck again, his blade piercing right through the heart. Starved vampires weren't as clever, thank god. 

Eren looked over to Levi, making sure the hunter was fine. Levi wiped the blood which splashed back at his face and then nodded back. 

But that was just one. 

Their real problem began when another vampire burst into the room, followed by even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the shit-ness of this chapter and the fact I haven't updated for over a week. I've recently gotten into the 5SOS craze and I found that I ship Ashton and Luke together which basically led to me starting multiple fanfics involving them. I plan to continue some of them, too, so that's slowing me down slowly. If you're in the fandom, you can check them out :)   
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! I'm glad you guys like it and to all the new readers, thanks for giving the story a chance!   
> I'm predicting the next chapter is going to take around a week to be updated. Sorry for that but I'm keeping up with writing multiple stories, here.   
> Thanks for reading!   
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)  
> Btw, I'm just curious but what's the first anime you guys ever watched? The first one I watched was Wolf's Rain, since I was (and still am) obsessed with wolves. It pulled me in and I still have painful flashbacks to that damn painful anime.


	30. Unspoken Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikasa tries to get into Erwin's head, and it backfires.  
> Reiner gets his job done but bumps into somebody unexpected.  
> Everybody realizes they have the same target; or so they think.

“What's your motive behind all of this anyway?” Mikasa growled, being shoved forward by a pair of hunters, her hands tied behind her back again. She was sure she would have permanent scars from the burns the silver continuously left on her skin; after all, she had been exposed to it for so long. On top of that, she hadn't fed for two days (or something like that) and the continuous contact with silver was only weakening her further.

“I'm just upholding tradition.” Erwin spoke simply, his voice firm and steady as always.

“Tradition?” She sneered, hissing as the silver made a deeper contact with her skin.

“Hunters have never worked with vampires.” Erwin replied. “Of course, we had seen that as an option, but it was an option we would never undertake. We are above vampires and that's why each and every one of them needs to be exterminated.”

Marco frowned, all of the new information seeping in. There were still many blanks he had to fill, but he learned more with each second.

“So you planned to screw over Eren from the beginning.” Mikasa didn't question it, she simply stated it as a fact to which Erwin simply shrugged. She sneered again, a teasing smirk stretching on her lips,”Too bad he saw right through you.”

“I guess he did.” Erwin spoke. “Although, I fully believe he had help from some very important members of the organization.” His voice had turned slightly colder, as if almost laced with betrayal.

Mikasa said nothing to that. She had believed Levi would screw over Eren just as Erwin would, but it seems that the short hunter had proved her wrong. She admired him ever so slightly for that; it wasn't easy to change sides so drastically.

“Sir!” Erwin turned, watching as one of his hunters ran down the hallway towards them. “One of our control rooms has been destroyed, while the other is breached. We believe there is somebody inside.” He breathed out, trying to catch his breath. “Also,” He started hesitantly. “The cells have been opened.”

Mikasa watched carefully as Erwin tensed. “I didn't give permission for them to be opened.” He growled, his fists clenching. “I specifically denied permission to open them. I turned off the alarm before they could automatically open.” He shook his head slightly. “I wouldn't risk my men.” Mikasa saw a glint in his eye and frowned, finding it very familiar.

The hunter looked away, clearly uncomfortable under Erwin's heavy gaze. “The cells can be opened from the control room.” The hunter mumbled. “Somebody wants them out.”

“Try to get into the control room.” Erwin ordered. “Stay away from the east block. Take two others with you.” He then turned to the rest of the group. “We'll head to the roof for supplies.” He spoke.

The previous hunter nodded and motioned for two others to follow him as they began jogging down the hallway. The rest moved along quickly, with Mikasa being shoved forward again. “So you knew the base was breached, and yet, you didn't let the security systems work?” She only supposed that them speaking of 'cells' had something to do with protecting the base.

“There were people inside the building whom I could not risk.” Erwin replied coldly, looking away.

And it dawned on her. She smirked, finally finding Erwin's weak spot. “The people who breached the building,” She started, slowly. “It's Eren, isn't it?” She grinned at the thought of Eren before narrowing her eyes in a teasing manner. “Along with his boyfriend, Levi.” She laughed lightly and humourlessly. “You're still in love with Levi. You didn't want him in danger.”

“Shut up.” Erwin simply replied, but it was all that Mikasa needed to know she was right.

Now, she could work on getting into Erwin's head. “Good.” She simply commented. “I'll be sure that when I see him, I'll be the first to rip his little heart out.” She murmured with a shrug and watched as Erwin's fists clenched.

But then, he turned to her with a knowing smile on his face. “I know what you're doing.” He told her. “And unfortunately, I also know how in love your brother is with Levi.” He pointed out to which Mikasa frowned. “Kill Levi; I dare you. If I don't kill you first, I'm sure Eren will.”

Mikasa looked away, pondering on the thought. If it came to it, who would Eren choose?

A door was opened and she was shoved forward. A sign to the side hung on the hallway wall, a red arrow pointing in the direction they were going: roof.

~~*~~*~~

All the information was within his reach, tucked safely into his backpack before he looked to the cameras, one last time, smirking at the three hunters trying to get into the locked room he was inside. Switching to the other cameras, he frowned at Annie in the room. She was doing fine, since she wasn't the vampires' primary target, and she could definitely survive a little more without him. 

Switching the cameras again, he narrowed his eyes at a blond boy running through a hallway. He recognised him from somewhere before, but couldn't put a finger on where exactly. Switching again, he almost growled at the group of hunters heading to the roof. He would need back-up if he were to attack them. 

It then occurred to him that perhaps both he and the other infiltrators at the base had the same targets. He and Annie wanted Erwin Smith dead, while Eren and his hunter wanted Mikasa back. Both of those solutions were heading to the roof. He would have to change the plan slightly. Releasing the starved vampires caused panic, which is exactly what he was counting on, but it also created some issues. He hoped for the vampires to head for the group of hunters; after all, human blood is easy to track when you're starving for it. 

He opened the control panel, skimmed his fingers over two wires before snatching them forward and ripping them, making the room fall into darkness as the cameras all shut down. And the door opened. 

Two hunters burst in, weapons at hand, pointing at him. But he was faster and prepared. Gun in hand, he shot the first one in the shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the scent of his blood: he would leave this one for last. The other shot at him twice in that span of time, but the silver in his body only gave off an uncomfortable itch when he was so used to it. 

He began walking towards the hunter, grinning mockingly, as the hunter fired off more shots towards his chest. Each of them hit perfectly and he was slightly impressed, but they weren't enough to stop Reiner from gripping the hunter's throat, his nails growing into claws and ripping into the skin. The hunter fell, blood dripping from both his mouth and his ripped throat. 

Reiner stepped over him and headed for the door, standing by the wall and looking around the corner for the missing hunter.

When a silver knife missed his face by mere millimetres, he hissed and stepped back, the hunter now coming into view. Reiner backed away slightly and smirked, his own hand heading to his belt where a pocket knife was stashed. Flipping it open discretely, he attacked forward. 

He dodged the hunter multiple times. The young hunter knew how to use the knife he had, but he was simply not experienced enough against a vampire as old as Reiner. On a particularly close call, when the silver knife nudged at the edge of his jacket and ripped the fabric slightly, Reiner brought his own knife forward and stabbed at the hunter's leg. The young hunter yelled and stumbled, which gave Reiner the chance to let his claws come forward into the hunter's stomach. The deadly claws ripped through skin and Reiner watched the shock register on the hunter's face, before he pulled his hand up, tearing through the skin from the stomach up to the chest and then letting the hunter drop into his own pool of blood. 

He wiped his hand on his jeans, looking down at the hunter dying before him. He didn't like how much blood there was. He never did like leaving a mess, or well, he did, but that was before everything that happened with Bertholdt. 

_“What was that one again? Was that rain?” Reiner whispered to Annie, crossing his arms over his knees and leaning back on the wall, sighing with content as a small smile crossed his face._

_Annie threw away the empty blood bag and wiped her lips before speaking, “Wasn't rain the one where he sleeps curled up with his right leg straight?” She commented, her eyes following Reiner's to a sleeping Bertholdt across the room. He was currently asleep on the hotel bed, in a hotel room for which they had so generously paid, or well, didn't pay yet. One thing was sure, there would be no actual money involved in the end._

_Reiner laughed softly, watching as Annie lit a cigarette and inhaled sharply before passing it over to him as if it was a common action. And it was. “No, I think that one meant clouds.” Reiner disagreed, inhaling the nicotine sharply before blowing out the smoke. He frowned as he looked towards the window, “Do you think they're still looking for us?”_

_Annie sneered slightly, snatching the cigarette out of his fingers. “'Looking' is a very bad word to use. 'Hunting' would be more appropriate. Especially after that little piece of art you left.” She commented, referring to the dead body and the lyrics of a song that was stuck in Reiner's head painted onto a wall with the blood of the person he killed._

_“It was genius.” He commented with a shrug, smiling to himself._

_“Is Reiner getting cocky again?” Murmured Bertholdt from the bed, his voice still croaky and heavy with sleep._

_“Always.” Annie replied simply._

_“Arrogance isn't attractive.” Bertholdt murmured, curling deeper into the covers and taking on a completely different yet still perfectly weird position._

_Reiner laughed fondly at the simple comment and passed the cigarette over to Annie again. “Definitely rain.” He murmured to her about the new position Bertholdt undertook. His weird sleeping positions had become predictions for the weather, or perhaps cheap entertainment when they had nothing else to do._

_“I don't think so.” Annie murmured. “It's something new.” She added, finishing off the cigarette and stubbing out the end on the floor under them. “Maybe a flood or something.” She shrugged._

_And she was right. Because mere hours later, the street was flooded with Bertholdt's blood._

Reiner turned back to the first hunter he left injured on the ground, pulling up the whimpering mess of a man by his shoulder until they were face to face. “I'm doing you a favour.” He murmured. “I could leave you here for the starved, wild vampires to devour you. But I'll give you a quick death, and no waiting.” He smiled lightly, his fangs elongating slowly. He leaned forward and sank his teeth into the skin of the hunter's neck.

He felt wounds instantly start healing quicker once the warm blood circled his body. Once the hunter was drained, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, snatched the map from the table and walked out of the room.

However, once he was out of the room, he spotted somebody mere feet from him. 

Armin froze in his steps, unsure about what to do next. Was this a rabid vampire? Was this the end? But when Reiner looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, Armin pieced together the fact that he wasn't one of the vampires who escaped, but he was still a vampire, and the memory came back to Armin now.

And then, the large, blond vampire was standing in front of Armin; his canines lengthened right in front of the human and he felt his body freeze up all over again. The stake dropped from his hand as the vampire grabbed his jacket, pulling him forward, his lips pulling back and revealing teeth, his head bowing down to attack; and then, it stopped. 

This was the very same vampire who had attacked Armin previously, an accomplice of Annie. Armin reached for the pocket knife Ymir had also handed him and opened it, pointing the sharp end at Reiner, who sneered in return. 

Reiner's eyes moved to the two dead bodies in the hallway, Armin's eyes following cleverly behind. He understood he had no chances with the vampire, if two hunters couldn't take him on, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try. 

“You look familiar.” Reiner commented, playing with the loose thread in his jacket which the other hunter caused. 

“I'm glad you remember how you tried to kill me.” Armin replied, surprising himself at how steady his voice was. 

Reiner narrowed his eyes. “Are you with the hunters?” 

Armin hesitated; that statement was only partly true. Ymir, after all, still wasn't back. “I'm here for Mikasa.” He replied. 

Reiner nodded and smiled lightly. “Good. Saves me the effort of killing you and attracting more vampires.” He looked towards the bodies again. “I'm heading towards Annie and the others. You're free to join; we have the same goal, after all.” Except that the only reason Armin would be useful would be as a bait. 

“Armin?!” They both turned at another person running down the hallway. Armin couldn't help but smile in relief once he spotted Hanji, her hair up in a messy ponytail as always. She paused by Armin, her hand outstretching with a gun pointed at Reiner. Reiner took a second to also notice the two silver blades stashed at her sides; from his experience, only more advanced hunters carried those blades. She could be a problem. “What the hell are you doing here?” She hissed to him, keeping her eyes on Reiner. 

“I'm here for Mikasa.” Armin replied simply. “Ymir helped me.” 

Hanji frowned slightly, “Eren and Levi will get Mikasa out. You shouldn't be here.” 

“Eren is here?” Armin questioned quickly, his eyes widening. “But I thought-” He started but was cut off by Hanji. 

“It was a set up.” She spoke simply. “Levi wouldn't hurt him.” Her eyes looked over to Armin just for a second, telling him to trust those decisions. 

“As endearing as this is,” Reiner started and brought his hands up in a sign of surrender slowly. “It seems we all have the same goal.”

Hanji sneered, “I've seen what your friends did. It's hard to believe Jean is helping you.” She commented. “But while we're here talking, they're in trouble.” She snapped. 

“Exactly.” Added Reiner quickly. “Can you take care of all those starved vampires yourself? You have an unarmed kid with you and your own blood stinks up the air, inviting those vampires in.” He breathed in deeply for an impact and smirked once he saw panic flicker in Hanji's eyes. 

“You walk first.” She snapped and Reiner smirked as she made a decision. 

Armin's eyes widened at the decision she made. “Hanji-” He started quickly. 

“He's right.” Hanji replied, slowly lowering her gun. “We have the same target, and he clearly knows exactly where to go.” Hanji's eyes flickered between the map in Reiner's hand and the camera room positioned behind him. “He can help fight. His friends are in the same room as Levi and Eren.” 

Reiner smirked again and turned around, walking down the hallway and listening to the footsteps following behind him. For now, they didn't need to know that their targets varied slightly.

But none of them saw the hunter watching them from around the corner. Once the conversation finished, he turned and ran, following the directions to the roof. 

~~*~~*~~

There was blood everywhere. He couldn't keep track of which blood was his, which was one of the allies' in the room or which was enemy's. 

His claws sunk into the shoulder of a vampires, the sharp ends dragging over bone with a cringing crunch as the vampire wailed in pain, but didn't stop. He turned, dragging his claws through skin and thrusting his other hand forward, his claws sinking into the throat of the vampire, ripping the skin apart. Once the vampire fell to his knees, Eren reached for the silver knife stashed in his boot and pierced it through the vampire's heart. 

He wiped the blood off his mouth and turned around, watching as Annie fought effortlessly with a vampire while Levi held off two more, his blades twirling and turning in the air with ease, as if they were extensions of his own arms. Jean fought with a vampire, a silver knife at hand, but from what Eren could see Jean's movements were hesitant and mostly dodges; he was afraid to kill. 

He frowned at the amount of dead bodies surrounding Levi. As predicted, most of them attacked him and it was hard to take their attention away from the human. He knew Levi would never admit it but he was getting tired, fighting and killing non-stop. 

Eren rushed forward, his claws singing into the back of one of the vampires Levi was fighting, successfully taking on its attention. The vampire turned and swung at Eren with his own claws, hissing as it did. Eren just about dodged the attack and retaliated, his claws only skimming the skin on the vampire's face. 

He could feel Levi's worried gaze on him, and it was both annoying as well as endearing. He loved that Levi cared so much, but not if it meant him getting hurt himself. At the moment, the smell of human blood filled the air and Eren looked up, distracted.

It wasn't a fatal wound, but it was a horrible looking slash across Levi's upper arm, the claws having ripped through both his jacket and skin. The wound slowed down Levi's movement with the said arm. 

The momentary distraction let Eren be tackled by the vampire he was fighting and they both hit the ground with a crunch, the vampire over him, his teeth lengthening, his hands at Eren's throat. Eren never heard of a vampire feeding on a vampire, but he supposed it was possible. 

The vampire suddenly wailed and flinched, his hands losing grip slightly, which gave Eren the advantage of knocking his hands away and kneeing his stomach, throwing him off. He spotted the silver knife sticking in the vampire's back and came to a conclusion that Levi threw it. He grabbed the blade and pulled it out, making the vampire hiss slightly before Eren tackled him to the ground and pierced the blade through his chest. 

“Eren!” Levi's voice reached him over all the commotion, breathless. “Can you try and do the-” Eren cut him off with a shake of him head, already knowing what he meant. 

“I can't!” He exclaimed in return, catching the gaze of another vampire which trailed into the room. “There's three vampires in the room which are in danger of dying!” He replied, meaning himself, Annie and Jean. He couldn't control his power, what if he went too far? He would have Jean's blood on his hands. 

“Try, Eren!” Levi yelled to him, his voice almost pleading and Eren quickly understood that the cut on Levi's arm was deeper than he expected, and the hunter was fighting with only one arm right now. 

He tried for those feelings to fuel his rage towards the vampires in the room. Levi had taken to attract the other vampire to himself while Eren focused. 

He thought about all the previous conversations he had with Hanji on how to control it. He thought of Mikasa, who always looked at him with such loyalty and dedication, being tortured somewhere, beaten and bloody. He thought of Armin, who was probably worried sick about everything right now, stressing over every detail of their lives. He thought about Marco and his friendly, warm smile, the very same smile which would never surface if Jean died. He even thought about Jean, that stupid horse face, and how he clearly didn't want to kill anybody, innocent or not. 

His skin heated up and he found it difficult to breathe, suddenly hot and itchy all over. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes tighter, hoping some of this was working. 

But in the back of his head, he continued repeating to himself to not get too worked up. He couldn't hurt Jean, and as much as he disliked Annie, he didn't want her dead either.

Another vampire wailed and then there was a hand on Eren's shoulder, which made his eyes open instantly and his claws grow, ready to fight. “Eren, stop.” Levi spoke to him, his grey orbs connecting with Eren's own teal. “Too far.” 

He looked around the room at the vampires choking on their knees, but beside them Jean and partly, Annie. His body immediately went cold and trembled with the effort, his breathe coming short as he realised he hurt both Annie and Jean. 

Levi stabbed the last weakened vampire in the chest and then turned towards Eren, looking over him quickly with worry. 

“There might be more coming.” Annie pointed out quickly. 

“Why don't we leave through the way they came in? If the cells are open, then we can get out through them.” Jean gasped, breathing heavily and straightening himself. “What the fuck was that?” He snapped once he stood straight, his eyes narrowing at Eren. 

Eren couldn't catch his breath, staring ahead at both Jean who was still clearly in pain and then to Annie, who even thought tried to play off the pain, was still coughing violently and walking slower. 

“Eren,” Levi was before him, his hands grabbing his face and making him face the hunter. “It's all fine.” He whispered, his deep eyes comforting Eren as much as they could. 

Eren nodded quickly, trying for him breath to even out. Instead, his arms wound around Levi and he pulled the raven forward, burying his own head in Levi's neck and his arms grabbing the hunter tighter, relaxing as Levi wound his arms back around Eren. 

Eren breathed in the familiar scent of the hunter, his eyes setting upon the scar still marking Levi's skin where Eren had bit him a few days back. The warmth and comfort soothed his nerves quickly. 

“We don't have the time for this.” Annie snapped quickly. 

Eren pulled away slowly, his breathing almost normal. Levi smiled at him softly: those soft, small smiles reserved only for Eren. “Let's go.” 

There was a loud click suddenly and everybody got into positions, Levi flinching as he picked up his blade with his injured arm and Eren watching intently as he did, his claws elongating instantly; his instinct was to protect Levi. 

But then, the door which they came in through slid open and a brown-haired head poked in, looking around at them all curiously. “Ravioli!” Levi could make out that annoying nickname any time, any day. 

Hanji ran into the room once she saw him while he put away his blades, and it's a good thing he did because she was wrapping her arms around him, and picking him up (with some trouble) before spinning them around. When he repeatedly hit her back to let him down, she did with a frown and scanned him thoroughly. “I thought you were hurt!” She accused like a mother. Her finger poked at his chest. “Don't do that again.” 

He rolled his eyes, rubbing the spot on his chest where Hanji had poked. Two more figures came through the door and Eren's eyed widened. “Armin?” He murmured, watching the smaller blond come in. 

A smile lit up Armin's face before he joined Eren, hugging him tightly. “Thank God you're okay.” He murmured, his eyes swapping to look at Levi for a short second, giving them a curt nod. Armin turned to Jean, “Jean, what are you doing here with them?” He spoke, giving a wary glance towards Annie and then Reiner as he stopped by her side with a grin. 

Jean looked uncomfortable for a second, looking over to Annie before he shook his head and sighed . “They threatened Marco if I didn't help them.” He murmured. 

Eren growled, his teeth baring in anger as he cast a glare towards Annie. “You're fucking pathetic.” He spat, his voice full of hate towards the blonde vampire. 

“Oh, grow up.” She snapped in return. “We needed his help to get Mikasa out.” 

“Don't try to make this about Mikasa.” Levi snapped in reply, taking a step forward bravely. “You don't care if she lives or dies. You only needed her because you need help to execute your stupid plan.” He sneered. “And that's not going to work anyway.” 

“I told you,” Annie started with a growl, “Don't act like any of you know anything about Mikasa and I.” 

“Besides,” Reiner started in a clear voice to which Levi tensed. Eren could already tell Levi didn't like him. “Our 'stupid' plan is almost done. All that's left now is getting Mikasa.” He smiled slightly. _And mass murder._

Levi eyed his slowly and Eren watched as others sent daggers towards other people. They didn't have time for any of this. “Mikasa is clearly not here.” Eren spoke to Hanji. “Where is she?” 

Hanji couldn't answer before Reiner butted in. “She's on the roof with the rest of the hunters.” 

“Hunters?” Eren furrowed his eyebrows. 

Levi answered, “Erwin must have decided to come back to base after the alarm went off. But that doesn't make sense,” He frowned slowly. “Why would he release the vampires then?” 

But it was Hanji who panicked slightly. “How long have they been on the roof, would you say?” 

“Minutes.” 

Hanji shook her head. “There's still more cells that aren't open.” She pointed out and it was Levi who understood. Erwin could still release more vampires if he wanted to. 

“Then we should hurry.” Eren added quickly and they all reacted, filing out through the door. Somehow, they believed they all had the same goal. Eren was still wary, and he could tell Levi was too, of the others' actual intentions, but there was one thought which swirled in his head. 

_This is where it ends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't like the ending of this chapter. It's hard to have so many characters in the same place. I abandoned times because it all kind of lines up at this point.  
> The next chapter is the last official chapter. Chapter 32 is an epilogue. It will take me time to write the next chapter; there's just so much happening, and all the characters are in the same scene at the same time, you're just gonna have to hang in there with me, guys.  
> You guys have any predictions on what will happen up on the roof? I think I'll either have an ongoing thing told from the third point of view, or I'll change POVs between the few main storylines so that you get more detail to what each person is feeling. I have everything planned, it's just the writing. And the epilogue is gonna be the bomb, like omg, that's the chapter I'm most excited about.  
> I feel really bad cause it seems that Levi is always the one getting hurt and it's like, damn, I don't have many human characters which can get hurt.  
> Btw did you enjoy the little flashback? Gah, I love Bertl. I think Reiner is quite badass tbh but maybe that's just me. A worthy opponent of Levi. And hey, can't wait to see what happens once Levi realizes Reiner killed Gunther.  
> I'll see you with the next chapter, and hopefully you won't hate me too much then :)  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/) (Btw I changed my tumblr theme, I'd be grateful if you told me if it's alright :))  
> omg Im getting my exam results tomorrow and Im dying wish me luck hopefully I'll survive  
> Thanks for reading!


	31. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And suddenly he's angry. He's mad, so fucking mad, so mad at the hunters, so mad at the vampires, so mad at Erwin, so mad at Levi for protecting him, so mad at himself because why couldn't he hold his own, why did he need others to protect him all the time, to die for him?

Do you know the rush you get when you're doing something dangerous, and it occurs to you that there is a possibility that it might not end well? The thrill pushes you further, the adrenaline grows and before you know it, you're enjoying yourself, even though one wrong step could lead to a horrendous outcome. 

This was nothing like that thrill. This wasn't some roller coaster ride which your friends dared you to go on. As they walked up those stairs, each stair was just a step closer to a possible outcome; whether the outcome was good or bad, none of them knew.

Eren couldn't help but let his breathing quicken, not from the strain of walking up a lot of stairs, but from the possible dangers surrounding them. Whichever way they went, they could approach their possible future death. Levi's own bloody hand slid into his own and Eren didn't give it second thought, giving it a comforting squeeze but not daring to look at Levi. 

He only paused for a moment before the door, the thought of Mikasa being hurt driving him forward. 

But of course, their presence was expected. 

Filing out onto the roof, they were met with the group of hunters ahead. Eren let his teeth slide out into display at the group of hunters, three of them holding Mikasa back near the edge of the roof. She fought hard, but he instantly noticed a spark in her eyes which told him she was starving, and therefore, weakened. 

“Marco?” Jean's voice was a whisper right behind Eren and Eren furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, about to turn around and tell Jean this was not the time, when a familiar figure caught his eyes. Not far from Mikasa, attended by another hunter stood Marco, a frown clear upon his face. 

“Erwin, stop this.” Hanji stepped forward, her voice pleading. “Just let them go. We've lost so many tonight as it is.” 

“You have no right to command anyone, Hanji.” Erwin replied, his voice calm and collected. “What you and Levi did is treason. You're no better than the rest of the people you're standing with.” There was a sharp tone to his voice which made Hanji cringe. “If only you had handed over the journal in the first place, then-” 

“Then what?” Eren sneered, stepping forward, a massive grin lighting up his lips. “There is nothing in that journal which would help you.” He pointed out with a cold laugh. 

“You're a liar.” Erwin stated calmly. 

“The journal says nothing about how to kill vampires!” Eren hissed, his patience now leaving his body at the calm voice Erwin spoke to him with. “It looks at ways which vampires could fit into society. That's what my father wanted.” Eren growled. 

“And he knew that...” Armin whispered, drawing eyes towards himself. He had suddenly remembered the journal he read through inside Erwin's office. “It was his side of the family who wanted your father dead.” He added, looking away. 

“Vampires are unnatural.” Erwin replied simply. “They feed on the innocent and play wicked games with the ones they can't easily get.” Erwin's eyes subtly looked over to Levi. “You got my own friends, people whom I grew up with to turn against me. It just proves it.” 

“You did it yourself, Erwin.” Levi spoke up, clearly replying to the look Erwin had sent him. 

“Have I?” Erwin spoke up, his eyebrows furrowing. His eyes first went to Armin. “I saw potential in you, Armin. You were one of the smart ones. But you were brought down by the foolish loyalty you bear to them.” He turned to look at Hanji. “You, in turn, were brought down by the loyalty you bear to Levi.” His eyes landed on Levi last. “And you? It's perhaps the worst one; you, Levi, were brought down because some kid flashed his bright eyes at you and you caved.” Erwin's voice had become hard by the end of his statement. 

“And here you all stand,” He began again. “Accusing me to be the bad guy.” He pointed at Annie and Reiner. “They're the ones who killed your friend, Levi. Not me.” 

Eren felt Levi freeze for a second and then the sharp sound of his blade being drawn. Annie and Reiner had taken a step away, their eyes trained on Levi. “And I will deal with them later.” Levi simply replied to Erwin. “But right now, you're the one standing in between us and what we want.” 

“It's a shame.” Erwin shrugged slightly, his eyes landing on Annie. “You weren't there when we killed their friend.” Annie's lip twitched while Reiner clenched his fists. “And I promise you. If they could, they would kill everyone here to avenge him.” Erwin laughed softly, looking to the ground. “In fact, that's most likely their plan.” 

“It is.” Reiner agreed, stepping around Annie and facing off Erwin. “And we're going to start with you.” 

It was a quick movement, Eren had to admit, but Erwin was still ready for it. 

Reiner had tried to run at Erwin, but the two hunters either side of Erwin had already drawn their blades and stepped forward, weapons at the ready. 

One of them twirled, dodging Reiner's attack and using his blade to catch Reiner's leg, making him lose balance. The other, meanwhile, had twirled the opposite way and was ready to stab his blade where Reiner should have fell. But Reiner was too fast, back to his feet before that happened. 

Eren had never seen such teamwork from hunters, and just by watching their fight and Levi's reactions, he instantly came to the realisation that they were a part of his squad. 

Either way, Reiner's foolish attack set everything off. 

The other hunters moved, drawing their newly stashed weapons and rushing forward, being met with Annie before they could reach Reiner. Jean moved too, trying to get around and clearly heading for Marco before he got blocked off by a hunter. 

“Armin keep out of this.” Eren managed to whisper before his eyes fell on Mikasa struggling and he was off, hearing Levi yelling his name and then footsteps following. Hanji had drawn her own blade and grabbed Armin's shoulder, backing them away from the fight. 

Eren was met with a hunter and he tried hard to remember everything Levi had told him about hunters and their fighting techniques. His thoughts were interrupted by the vial the hunter held in hand, the dark red liquid familiar. He dodged the incoming hit and was about to attack, his claws extending before he was shoved out of the way by Levi, Levi's blade easily slipping into the hunter's leg, making him drop.

“That's dead man's blood. Straight to the heart is critical.” Levi told him quickly. “Otherwise, it's excruciating. Hanji said they might have a few bullets laced with it, so stay away from gunshots.” Levi only had so much time before his blade was blocked with another hunter's blade. 

“You were supposed to be on our side.” The hunter growled at him. 

Levi spun, the edge of his blade cutting through skin on the hunter's stomach. “Your side was wrong.” 

In that time, Annie had gotten to face off with Erwin and Eren couldn't help but wonder how she was so fast, her moves full of precision and finesse as she dodged Erwin's attacks. He, in turn, had chosen to head over to Jean, helping Jean get rid of the hunter facing him off. 

“Get Marco out of here.” Eren growled at him once he was close enough, his claws extended and ready to fight the hunter before him. 

“What the hell do you think I'm doing?” Jean snapped back, moving to the side as to avoid the blade piercing through his skin. 

“Stop!” He couldn't help but look up at Reiner's voice. It seemed that also caught Erwin's attention. “If you surrender, some of you will live. Otherwise,” He reached into his pocket, bringing out something Eren couldn't quite see. “We're all going to die.” 

“You did it.” Erwin almost growled at Reiner, his voice accusatory. “You released the vampires.” 

“And there's more to come.” Reiner teased, waving the little piece of equipment in his hand. 

There was a sudden gunshot, and Reiner's manic grin slowly faded before he looked down at his chest, blood pouring from the newest open wound. 

Annie's scream was louder than everything else as Reiner fell to his knees, one of his hands touching the blood pouring out of his chest. He frowned at what he found on his fingers and then looked up at Erwin, his eyebrows furrowed. Eren immediately recognised the stench of dead man's blood. 

Then, Reiner fell, his body hitting the ground with a crunch. 

But not before his finger pressed the button. 

Erwin threw away the gun, cursing at the lack of more of those bullets. “Barricade the door!” He yelled out before he straightened, his blade parring a deadly attack from Annie's sharp claws. 

This seemed to put everybody into a hurried stance, as each person realised there were more starving vampires roaming the building, surely finding their way to the roof with such a strong smell of blood hanging in the air. 

Eren dodged the attack from the hunter, his eye straying for a second to look for Levi which was a dangerous move since the edge of the blade skimmed against his jacket and he quickly moved away. 

Jean had dodged the incoming blade and wrapped his hands around the hunter's head, twisting and breaking the spine with a bone-chilling crunch to which he almost whimpered himself. “Get your shit together, horse face.” Eren snapped at Jean's unwillingness to kill. It was either kill or be killed. 

The door on the other side of the roof banged loudly and everybody seemed to freeze for a second. Erwin, however, used this to his advantage, his blade piercing through Annie's leg, which made her cry out in pain. 

Eren's eyes scanned quickly over the situation. Mikasa and Marco were close to the door. Marco was human. The vampires would definitely head for him the most, as he was the closest. “Jean!” Eren yelled out, his eyes pleading Jean to move through the hunters faster. 

But he knew Jean wouldn't get there in time before the door crashed open. 

“Armin! No!” Meanwhile, Armin had grabbed the gun out of Hanji's belt and blended right into the chaos, the gun at hand. He ran right past Eren and headed for Marco. 

Seeing this, Jean paused, his eyes widening. “Armin! No!” 

“Jean! Watch out!” Marco's scream came over the chaos and Jean turned just in time to see the blade heading right for his chest. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain, but none came. The only thing he heard was the loud gunshot. 

His eyes opened and he looked at the hunter by his feet, a bullet wound right at his chest. He turned, bewildered, to look at Armin, who stood behind him with wide eyes, his mouth and hand quivering. 

He didn't have time to comfort Armin, or to even thank him for saving his life. He grabbed the gun out of Armin's hand and headed forward, reaching Marco. He gave no second thought to the hunter by him, pointing his gun and pressing the trigger quickly. Within seconds, he had Marco in his arms, murmuring quietly to him. 

“Go to Hanji. She'll get you out of here.” He told Marco quickly. 

The door smashed open and there was a second of panicked silence before the first vampire ran through, blood-shot eyes and sharp canines and deadly claws and headed for the nearest hunter, which was the hunter writhing on the ground whom Jean had shot. 

“Quickly.” Jean hissed, shoving Marco forward into the chaos as more vampires flooded onto the roof. The hunters' main mission for now was to get rid of them.

As the hunters were tackled by vampires one by one, Eren had grabbed Mikasa quickly, hissing as he grabbed the silver handcuffs on her hands and pulled with all his strength. The silver left a burn on his skin but the metal snapped and she hugged him quickly, murmuring 'thank you's into his ear before they pulled away and gave each other meaningful looks. 

All the hunters on the rooftop were clearly of a higher status. Killing the starved vampires came easy to them, with the vampires moves being fast but inefficient. Eren was tackled by one, but used his upper body strength to quickly flip them over, his claws slashing at the vampire's throat before he reached for the knife he was given previously, stabbing it right in the heart. 

With a quick look, he saw Levi fight off two vampires, the blood from the wound on his arm attracting them with the smell. He wished he could go over there and help, but Erwin had finished dealing with Annie, leaving her to stumble back and almost trip, her tears trailing down her cheeks. Even she wasn't fast enough. 

Jean had made his way back to Hanji and Armin with Marco in tow, facing off any vampire that even came near. “Get them out of here!” Levi had yelled to Hanji to which she quickly nodded and hurried a still shocked Armin ahead, Marco right behind her, looking out for Jean. 

And because he was looking out for his lover, he was the one who saw it, not Jean. Marco watched a hunter load a red coloured bullet into his gun before reloading and aiming, the gun pointed at Jean. Marco had seen the very same bullet kill Reiner with one hit. 

Jean finished off the starving vampire and straightened, his eyebrows furrowing as Marco wrapped his arms around him and spun them around. “Marco?” His voice whispered at the same time the gunshot rang and Marco winced, followed by a cry of pain. 

Jean's eyes widened at the new smell of blood, his eyes slowly moving down Marco's body and to his stomach, where a trail of blood had started dropping. “No!” His scream was full of agony as Marco's hold on him weakened, his body sliding down and Jean following along. He dropped to his knees, still holding Marco. 

Eren looked around at the scream, his eyes widening at what he saw. “Marco!”

Levi's blade had stabbed through the hunter who shot, his own grey eyes widening at Jean, still on his knees, repeating Marco's name like a mantra, full-out wailing his name to the dark sky and it's such a heartbreaking scene Eren can't help the tears gathering in his eyes as Jean's voice haunts them, cursing and swearing and Marco Marco Marco. 

“Hanji!” Levi repeated, to which Hanji grabbed Jean's shoulder, trying to pull him away but no, he's still screaming, his voice broken and raw and 'he's not dead!' but Marco is dying because Eren can hear his heart slowing down quickly. Hanji settles for getting them both out and tries to get Jean to stand up, but it's only when Armin joins in and Jean picks up Marco's limp body do they head for the emergency exit: the ladder from the roof leading to the alley outside. 

Eren watched Annie crawl out of the way weakly, and the sudden decrease in both vampires and hunters on the rooftop made him realise just how serious it was getting; it was him, Levi, Mikasa (currently latched onto a hunter) and Erwin, who, Eren realised, was now heading for him. 

Eren's eyes widened and he quickly stumbled back, his claws parring Erwin's blade as he tried to get back into a battle-worthy stance. Erwin's other blade came down with such power, Eren stumbled again, almost tripping. He took a few steps away from Erwin, watching him carefully and trying to see if he had a weak spot. 

A hand landed on Eren's shoulder and he jumped slightly before realising Levi stood next to him, a knowing look in his eyes. Eren understood that look. 

Levi stepped in front of Eren, shrugging off Eren when he tried to grab for his hand and instead brought his blades up, wincing slightly as his arm shot a wave of pain down his body again. His eyes levelled with Erwin, who had stopped. 

“Levi, stop.” Eren whispered behind him, his hand scrambling at Levi's back to get his attention. “We can make a run for it. We got what we wanted.” 

“He's not going to stop trying to hunt you down, Eren.” Levi replied simply, his shoulders tensing slightly. 

“I'm not going to fight you, Levi.” Erwin spoke calmly, stashing back his blades into their designated places. 

Levi clenched his teeth, “Then you're going to have a tough time getting to him.” He growled back, not losing his stance. 

“My goal here isn't to hurt you.” Erwin spoke again, his eyes looking over Levi quickly, his eyebrows furrowing. 

Eren became aware of the hunters around them losing the battle. Another wave of vampires had headed out of the door and they were met with hunters, but Eren could tell the heavy scent of Levi's blood was very attractive to them. Mikasa was busy, and even though she kept sending Eren quick glances to make sure he was alright, she was busy fighting her own battles. 

Annie was up on her feet again, trying to fend off two vampires who were quickly cornering her on the edge of the roof. 

“It isn't my goal.” Erwin repeated. “But I see I won't find a way to persuade you, so...” Erwin had reached into his belt again, but instead of grabbing his blade, his hand reached for something else. It was such a quick, unexpected move, Levi had no chances of dodging the bullet, or even blocking it with his blade. “”I'm sorry, Levi.”

There was a gunshot and Levi fell, his teeth gritted in pain and a hateful look sent towards Erwin as the bullet had hit him straight in the knee, shattering bones along the way. 

Eren didn't wait for Erwin to come to him. He attacked first, almost getting a hit in before Erwin drew his blades and parried his blow. He swung his foot across the ground, a move he had seen Levi use numerous times, but Erwin had simply dodged the attack and returned with his own, his blade almost hitting Eren in the arm. 

Eren heard a scream and from the corner of his eye saw Annie trip, falling off the roof before a hand grabbed hers, Mikasa bent over the edge of the roof, holding her from falling. 

He didn't hear what they said, he was too busy on dodging Erwin's attacks and hoping he would tire quickly, but they exchanged a few words. And when Mikasa straightened up again, she wasn't helping Annie up. Annie was gone. 

Eren felt the edge of the blade drag against his skin, having ripped through clothing, the silver making him hiss. Behind Erwin, he saw Levi struggle to stand, gritting his teeth in pain as he tried to defend from two more vampires, even more blood having attracted them. Mikasa tried helping him, tried to attract their attention, but they didn't stop. 

And suddenly he's angry. He's mad, so fucking mad, so mad at the hunters, so mad at the vampires, so mad at Erwin, so mad at Levi for protecting him, so mad at himself because why couldn't he hold his own, why did he need others to protect him all the time, to die for him? He should have at least tried and it was all his fault and fuck fuck fuck. 

And this is exactly what he was hoping for, because his body heats up, his vision blurring slightly and Erwin only has a second to react, to try and attack because his blade is flying out of his hand, the silver blade landing in a pile with the other silver weapons while the manic, starving vampires fall to their knees, choking, retching and dying, and Eren almost grins because this is it, this is that one thing he's good at. 

He remembers Marco's amazing, loud laugh and fuck all of this because Marco might be dying right now or even dead and Eren doesn't know and it's all his fault, he knows. Somehow it all goes back to him and to see the panic start to show in Erwin's eyes now is what he's craving, and he's getting it. 

When he stops, his body is heavy and weak but the vampires are dead and Erwin is standing in front of him unarmed so all Eren has to do is pick up the silver blade by his foot and point it at Erwin's throat, his own teeth coming down as a threatening display. 

“I should kill you.” He spoke, his voice blank and cold. “But I'm not as emotionless as you. I'm going to take down this whole organization; I'm going to do the exact thing my father wanted and show others that vampires can live peacefully with humans. “ He watched Erwin sneer at the thought, but he continued nonetheless. “And you?” He chuckled. “You'll be left with nothing, which is still more than you deserve after your lies.”

He threw the blade to the side, far enough to know that it tumbled over the edge of the roof. Extending his claws, with a single move he drew into flesh and watched as Erwin winced and fell, gritting his teeth in pain at the new injury in his leg. 

Eren, however, turned towards Mikasa and Levi, ignoring the two left hunters whimpering in the corner. “Let's get out of here.” He murmured and suddenly felt all that adrenaline leave his body, leaving him limp and weak. He helped Levi get up, his arm wrapping around him tightly before he placed a quick kiss on the corner of the hunters' lips as Mikasa wrapped her arm around Eren, helping him walk. 

He ignored Erwin yelling after them. The man was finished for the day. 

But Levi never underestimated Erwin; he knew well not to. So, when Levi turned around and noticed Erwin stabbing a knife into one of the dead hunters, covering the silver blade with dead man's blood, he knew well that this wasn't over. 

Eren's words came back to haunt him. _“Do you think that life is worth living if you're not living yourself?”_ He hadn't pondered on the thought back then, but now, it dawned on him that the answer was simple: no. 

He never sacrificed his own life to save his mother's, and it had eaten away at him throughout his whole life. He had craved control over all aspects of every day life because of that one past event. And it slowly dawned on him: he couldn't save his mother, but he could still save the other person he cared deeply for, perhaps even loved. This sacrifice was long overdue. This life he had created for himself was simply an illusion, trying to mask the guilt eating away at his insides. He wasn't himself.

Which is why when he shoved away from Eren and instead felt the knife Erwin had thrown which was meant for Eren, pierce through his skin, he knew he had done the right thing. 

Eren's scream, however, didn't agree. 

He caught Levi's falling body in his arms, both of them sinking to the ground and Levi smiled, because this was it. He had saved Eren and this was all over now. 

Eren didn't bother trying to stop the tears. But his cry wasn't the full out wailing that Jean's had been. It was this horrible, pitiful, broken noise because all he could think about was Levi, his sarcastic, blunt Levi, smiling, joking, laughing, fighting, him, him, him. 

And now it was just this haunting, fading echo in his mind because Levi's heart beat was slowing down drastically and somehow, Eren was almost sure the ambulance wouldn't make it in time. 

He saw Mikasa's claws draw a pretty, red line across Erwin's throat in the corner of his eye but he didn't pay attention because he had a handful of Levi right now, and it's all he can do, watch him, and murmur his name and cry because Levi is dying right in his arms. But Levi is smiling, a different smile than Eren had ever seen. 

Levi understood that putting others before himself had always been a major part of him. He was being himself. This was the real reason he met Eren, so that Eren could show him what was wrong with the way he lived. And Eren did, for a while. But all good things must come to an end. 

And he's watching Eren, Eren's handsome face crying above him because this is the last thing he will see and then he's frowning because he wants his last memory of Eren to be when he's laughing, smiling at a terrible joke Levi had told him. And Eren is begging for him to hang on and muttering something about an ambulance being on the way. But the pain is winning now, it's so sudden and so deadly that Levi can't help but wince, a pathetic whimper leaving his mouth. 

_“Maybe death would come easier.”_ Eren's previous words echo in his head again.

Yeah. You were probably right, Eren. Maybe death would come easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. That was the last chapter. The next chapter is the epilogue.  
> Please don't kill me.  
> I'm gonna save my cheesy thank you notes for the next chapter and right now I want to speak about a few technical details before any of you jump at them.  
> The hunters only had a limited amount of those bullets. That's why they saved them for most important moments. Also, the rest of Levi's squad (Auruo and Erd) were up there, and they are the two hunters left in the end who are alive. Erwin had thrown the knife which hit Levi. Marco had blocked Jean's body with his own, in case that wasn't clear. Annie had fallen from the roof, and under normal circumstances she would live but because she was so injured already, she's dead. I was going to have the "Annie. Fall." Between her and Mikasa since Mikasa clearly let her fall, but decided against it in the end. It was kind of implied. Also, if you look back to like chapter 16, Eren did actually say those words.  
> So, I hope you guys enjoyed this and I will hopefully have the epilogue up during the weekend. The epilogue is actually the chapter I'm most excited to write. I've had the epilogue planned even before I had the whole story line.  
> Feel free to comment and let me know what you think. I cried while writing both the Marco and Levi scenes because I'm a wimp, okay.  
> Okay, thanks for reading!  
> [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/)


	32. ~ Epilogue ~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gravestones lined the quiet graveyard, some recently placed whereas others cracked and crumbling. Mould covered some of the engravings dedicated to the dead, trees leaning towards the stones, branches reaching out to each other.

_Five Years Later_

Gravestones lined the quiet graveyard, some recently placed whereas others cracked and crumbling. Mould covered some of the engravings dedicated to the dead, trees leaning towards the stones, branches reaching out to each other. 

Spiked, black fences surrounded the graveyard almost like a prison, or perhaps more like a safeguard: protecting the living from the dead, not the other way around; if you believed in that, that is. The smell of old stone filled the dry air, weeds covering some of the graves which loved ones long stopped visiting. 

Gravel paths wove through the maze, allowing passers by to pay their respects to the people lined up in the earth's embrace. Here were mapped out generations of families, which left you wondering what their lives had been like, or even made you contemplate both the meaning of life and the permanence of death. 

He opened the withered, rusty gate leading directly towards the desired path and felt a sudden drop in temperature even though the sun shined brightly in the sky, making him squint his eyes at the graves he passed by. 

He stopped by the grave, crouching down and wiping his hand over the top and the engravings, clearing away any weeds which grew since he last visited. It's been some time. 

Quiet whispering reached his ear and he turned, spotting another person down the row crouching by a grave he was also quite familiar with. He had visited it himself before. 

A girl was crouched by the grave, her once shoulder-length blonde hair having grown down to her waist in the past years. He watched her place the flowers by the gravestone and he frowned himself, placing the single dark rose in front of the grave he had stopped. 

He hadn't predicted he would see anybody since it was still early, but just seeing the girl he had once been friends with and even project partners, created an unsettling feeling in his stomach. Historia had grown a lot these past few years, but even now there was pain in her eyes as she whispered to the gravestone silently. Pain never left. It was always there, a cruel reminder of those horrible memories. 

Realising he only had a set amount of time, he turned to the grave he had come here to visit. Visiting had become difficult, since he travelled a lot and was never in town. Hell, his permanent home wasn't even in the town; this town bared too many bad memories, and if any hunters were to recognise him, it could still be troublesome, even with all the recent improvements. 

“Hey,” He whispered, his voice lower now that years had gone by. He did, however, manage to keep most of his previous looks in order. Once he hit twenty-one, Hanji helped him work out how to manage the whole 'ageing' technique vampires were capable of. Perhaps, that's also why he didn't stay in one place for long. People got suspicious if your looks didn't change over months. “It's been a long time since I last visited. I'm sorry. I wasn't able to get back for a while; as a matter of fact, I'm just passing by right now.” 

He sighed, lowering his voice to a murmur so that even if people had arrived, they wouldn't be able to hear him. “You were one of the people I always felt like I could talk to, so I guess it's only fair that I do...” He sighed again, looking down at the grassy ground under him before making the choice and sitting down. His jeans could be washed. 

“I, erm...” He paused, wondering where to start before his eyes diverted to look at Historia again, tears streaming down her cheeks silently. “I wish I had known them both better.” He stated out loud before shaking his head slightly. “Historia always spoke so well of Ymir, and so did Armin and hell, even Mikasa!” He chuckled. “She didn't get enough time, none of you did.”

“Some things changed.” Eren murmured again. “Armin found himself a girl. Can you believe it? They've been together for almost a year now. He says she's the one. They're actually planning to move in together soon.” Eren chuckled slightly. “At least one person was straight in that damn friend group, huh?” He paused with a small smile on his lips. “It must be nice to find that the love of your life is so normal and ordinary.” 

He chuckled as a thought came to his head. “Can you imagine me at a wedding? I look ridiculous in a tux.” His thoughts sprung to the numerous funerals he had to attend and he quickly got rid of the image before it brought even more tears to his eyes. 

“Hanji is actually some big time biologist now. She and Armin actually work for the same company. I'm on the way to visit them now, actually.” He smiled slightly. “She's as perky as always. As weird as always. She easily gets on your last nerve.” He chuckled. But she's loveable, you know? She still helps out with some hunter business from time to time.” He finished with a shrug. “The question of her relationship status always gets the best response. She says science is her one and true love, but I don't believe it.” He chuckled again, his voice breaking slightly but he quickly covered it up. 

“Mikasa dropped out of studying medicine, but you know that. She undertook policing instead, and now that she managed to pass everything with distinction, she's working. She actually got promoted not long ago.” He stated. “This way, she helps both humans and vampires, since the police work closely with hunters. She makes sure everything is running correctly. She doesn't want events to repeat themselves.” He paused, his voice drifting off as memories flooded back. 

_“Turn him, Eren! He's going to die!”_

_“He doesn't want that, Mikasa! He doesn't!”_

_“Eren! He's not going to make it!”_

“We, erm, we managed to persuade Commander Pixis that vampires weren't a threat. He was open to suggestions, and once I told him that vampires can survive on animal blood, we convinced him that vampires and humans can work together.” He smiled lightly. “He's quite an important man in the whole organization, so with each day, fewer vampires are killed and more are caught instead. The number of those willing to partake voluntarily is also increasing.” 

“I caught up with Connie and Sasha the other day. They, of course, still don't know anything about what happened a few years back. They're opening some kind of a restaurant soon, together. They're a great team, really.” He smiled at the thought. “We keep insisting that they're totally in love, but they both deny it.” 

“Me? I'm nowhere as successful as all of the others.” He shrugged slightly. “There's always a black sheep. I got the job at that magazine a few years back, and it still works perfectly for me. I get to travel and take pictures of beautiful sights, so what's not to love?” A smile overcame his face at the sudden thought. “I got to see the ocean. Multiple times, actually. It's beautiful.” 

He suddenly perked up as he realised something. “Right! How could I forget Jean?” He chuckled. "Jean is a different story. He works for some big company, apparently. He's been climbing the ladder slowly. That time I saw him in a suit I burst out laughing. It doesn't go with his stupid horse face; he looks ridiculous. He, erm,” He paused for a second. “He and Mikasa moved in together.” 

“I know right? But Mikasa tells me he's doing really well. And this way, I guess they can help each other mourn.” He paused, his hand coming up to wipe at the tears threatening to spill over the edge. “He misses you; he misses you a lot, Marco."

His eyes sized up the engravings on the gravestone again, the very same gravestone which Jean had paid for, dismissing any offers from Marco's family.

IN MEMORY OF  
 **MARCO BODT**  
SON, DEAREST FRIEND AND MY LOVE  
16/06/1993 – 01/01/2014

_“You are always in my thoughts,_  
 _Your love is still my guide,_  
 _And though I cannot touch your hand,_  
 _I know you are by my side.”_  


Eren sighed, looking sideways to see that Historia was gone now. “I should be going.” He murmured before standing up, stretching slightly. “Levi isn't very patient. Especially out in the sun.” He chuckled, patting the top of the gravestone. “I'll visit soon, yeah?” He whispered again, taking a step back. “See ya, Marco.”

_“Eren, he won't make it!”_

_“He will! He's a fighter, you'll see...”_

_“Eren...”_

_“Don't you fucking dare leave me, Levi.”_

He turned and walked back the same path he had came in through, shoving his hands into his pockets to protect them from the cold, winter air. He left the graveyard, looking around slowly, trying to find whom he was looking for. 

He spotted a figure clad in black standing by a tree not far away, hiding out in the shade, their hands stuffed in their pockets. But Eren felt his hot gaze on him and made his way towards the tree instantly. 

He didn't say anything but simply grabbed the lapels of Levi's leather jacket and pulled him close, leaning down to connect their lips, the kiss passionate and slow. 

It has been years since he first found out how those lips tasted, but every touch of them, every caress across his skin, every taste when they connected; it all still sent sparks throughout his whole body, lighting his insides up with excitement and his heart with adoration.

When they did pull away, Eren kept his forehead leaned against his. “Did you get to visit Petra?” He whispered, his eyes still closed. 

Levi's arms came up around him, his hands shoving into the back pockets of his jeans to warm up. “Yeah.” He replied, and Eren heard the small smile in his voice. “I'm glad I did.” He added in a murmur, leaning up to kiss Eren again and Eren did nothing but smile into the kiss. 

When they pulled away again, he took a step back instead intertwining their hands together. His eyes fell on the small, gold band adorning Levi's finger and he smiled again, squeezing his hand slightly. “We should go.” He reminded. “We're seeing Hanji next.” 

Levi groaned at the reminder. “Please don't speak her name.” He murmured, rolling his eyes. “The last time we saw her, as a greeting, she jabbed a needle in my arm and wanted blood samples.” 

You see, that was the one massive difference in their lives. As of last year, Levi wasn't actually human. Eren never thought he would agree to being turned into a vampire since it was those creatures who tore his family apart, and honestly, Eren wasn't too fond of the idea either. He liked Levi as he was and he was afraid that if Levi turned, he would change or if anything went wrong, there was the danger of losing him again. 

But, after they spent 3 years together and realised that this relationship was in fact, very serious, it all came around. There was constant whining from Levi, who continued to argue he was already older and now he was getting older and older as Eren stayed at a constant. The fact that they found out that vampires didn't need human blood, but animal blood to survive, was also a massive advantage. 

He gave up on hunting and simply finished his degree. He helped out a friend from school, who had started their own company. He helped draw comics, which was easy while they were travelling. Other than that, Eren found out Levi was loaded. Apparently, hunting vampires was a career which paid very well.

Now, Levi enjoyed the meaningless, fast-paced races through woods at night, jumping off bridges into sharp water beneath or even climbing high buildings just to stare at the sky. Overall, there was never a dull moment, and Eren completely loved it. 

“You have a dirty ass.” Levi spoke once they began walking back to the car. 

Eren smirked, “Yeah, I do.” He sent a smouldering look towards Levi to which he received an eye roll in return. 

“There is literally grass on your ass.”

“Wow. Now you're rhyming. You should be a poet.” Eren grinned and brought the back of his hand up to his forehead dramatically. “Speak metaphors to me.” 

“Your face is a metaphor.” 

Eren grinned at the lame comeback. “Yeah.” He agreed. “A metaphor for 'handsome as fuck.'” 

“Shut up.” 

“You love it.” 

Levi hummed lightly, “I love you.” 

Eren rolled his eyes in return. “Now you're just being cheesy and totally cliché.” 

“Wow.” Levi murmured. “Rude.” 

Eren ignored the remark and hummed for a second, looking around at the cold surroundings. “I don't like the cold. I'm thinking Hawaii next.” He spoke up. 

“Agreed.” Levi replied, turning to walk around to the other side of the car before Eren grabbed his hand and pulled him back. 

He leaned down, placing a kiss on the raven's lips quickly before pulling away with a grin. “I love you, too.” He whispered. 

“Of course you do, you asshole.” He flicked Eren's nose lightly which earned him a laugh and then turned, walking to the other side of the car. 

People always want to see "they lived happily ever after." But isn't it enough that they lived? They didn't get the happiest ending, but they got their very own ending. 

And isn't that good enough?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I want to thank you guys. You have been amazing readers since the beginning so I want to thank each and every single one of you who ever left a kudos, commented or even read it and actually gave it a chance. It means so much to me that I could share a story with you guys. This is the first story I had completed on this website and for this fandom overall and I absolutely loved writing every word of it.  
> I still can't believe it's over.  
> I'm also sorry for giving you a scare in the last chapter. Killing Levi had only ever occurred to me for a second before the idea was shot down again. Marco, however, was in that plan since the start. I'm sorry that I'm as cruel as Isayama. Although, the plan was to make you believe he was standing above Levi's grave up until he actually said 'Marco'. Did I get any of you? :P  
> I can't express how grateful I am that you guys gave me a chance to write and actually liked it. English isn't even my first language, so all of this means a lot. A special thank you to all those people who actively interacted with me on [Tumblr](http://surveycorpscastiel.tumblr.com/) and those of you who ever drew art for the story because to put in effort and time to do that is truly amazing. I hope I managed to change some of your minds about vampire au's :D  
> I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. I'll probably slow down with writing now since I'm in my last year of school, but you can be damn sure I'm not going anywhere. The next story which I will be working on is [Etch](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1828870/chapters/3927838) which, (surprise surprise) also has vampires in it.  
> From the bottom of my heart, once again, thank you for everything and I really hope you guys aren't disappointed with the ending. My Tumblr is open to any messages, always :)  
> Thank you, and goodnight everybody.


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